4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and was and is to come
and from the seven spirits that are before his throne,
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Him who loved us and washed us from our sins with His blood
6 and made us kings and priests to his God and Father, glory and dominion forever and ever, amen.
7 Behold, come with clouds
and every eye shall see him, even those who pierced him; and all the families of the earth will mourn before him. Hey, amen.
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord, Which is and was and is to come
, Almighty.
(Rev. 1:4-8).
4 John 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,
(Rev. 1:4)
John sends greetings from Him who is and who was and who is to come.
Actually, this is the usual title of God. In Ex. 3:14 God says to Moses: I am the seven«.
The Jewish rabbis explained that God meant by this: “I was; I still exist and in the future I will be.”
The Greeks said: "Zeus who was, Zeus who is and Zeus who will be." Followers of the Orphic religion said: “Zeus is the first and Zeus is the last; Zeus is the head and Zeus is the middle, and everything came from Zeus.
All this is received in Heb. 13.8 is such a beautiful expression: " Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever«.
During that terrible time, John remained unfailingly faithful to the idea of the immutability of God.
The emphasis in this book is on God's eternal, unchanging essence.
In a world where empires rise and fall, where everything passes and dies, God's Word reminds us that God is unchanging, timeless, eternal.
He promised that His essence would be in us and that we would become like Him, by His grace we would not be subject to death. We will live and live forever, we will live forever.
What a wonderful meaning of life this gives!? What a consolation to all Christians!?
Anyone who reads this passage should be surprised by the order of the persons of God given here.
We say: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Here we are talking about the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son, and instead of the Holy Spirit, there are seven spirits that are before the throne.
It is not surprising that the number seven occurs fifty-four times in this final book of the Bible.
1. The Jews spoke of the seven angels of the presence, whom they beautifully called "the first seven whites" ( 1 En. 90.21). These were, as we call them, archangels, and they "offer the prayers of the saints and rise before the glory of the Holy One" ( Tov. 12.15). Their names are not always the same, but they are often called Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Gabriel, Sarakiel (Sadakiel), and Jerimiel (Phanuel).
They regulated the various elements of the earth - fire, air and water and were the guardian angels of the peoples. These were the most famous and close servants of God.
Some commentators believe that they are the seven spirits mentioned. But this is impossible; no matter how great these angels were, they were still created.
2. The second explanation is related to the famous passage from Is. 11.2-For: " And the Spirit of the Lord rests on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and piety andfilled with the fear of the Lord«.
This passage was the basis for the great concept of the seven
gifts of the Spirit.
3. A third explanation connects the idea of seven spirits with the fact that there are seven churches. In Heb. 2:4 we read about "distributing the Holy Spirit" according to His will. In the Greek expression, translated into Russian by the word distribution, there is the word merismos, which means share, part, and, as it were, conveys the idea that God gives each person a share of His Spirit.
Thus, in this case, the idea was that these seven spirits symbolize the portions of the Spirit that God has given to each of the seven churches, and its meaning is that no Christian society is left without the presence, power and sanctification of the Spirit.
4. And also that the “seven spirits” refer to the Holy Spirit acting in the spheres of government. The seven spirits are the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit as sovereignty, and the meaning of the spirits depends on the context in which they are used.
In chapter 3 they refer to Christ deciding the questions of the congregation, in chapter 5 they are mentioned in connection with his relationship to the earth, but however they are used, they always mean the fullness of the Holy Spirit in his management and
strength, and not its unity in the formation of the assembly as one body.
This has already been discussed in the epistles of the Apostle Paul, in which the place that belongs to a Christian as a member of the body of Christ is considered separately (and is considered only there).
Therefore, God is presented in accordance with the spirit and essence of the Old Testament and at the same time - in relation to the theme of the New Testament; in the same way the Holy Spirit is presented to us.
Judging by how often and in what respect this number is used, it must be more important than just a numerical value.
Symbolically, it denotes completeness or completeness, integrity, completeness and totality.
In this passage we see three great titles of Jesus Christ.
The witness speaks of what he saw with his own eyes. That's why Jesus is God's witness: He has one of the first-hand knowledge of God.
Firstborn, in Greek prototokos, can have two values:
a) It can literally mean the first-born, the first, the eldest child. If it is used in this sense, then it must be a reference to the Resurrection.
Through the Resurrection, Jesus won the victory over death, in which everyone who believes in Him can participate.
b) Because the firstborn is a son who inherits the honor and authority of his father, prototokos received the meaning of a person clothed with power and glory; ranked first, a prince among ordinary people.
When Paul speaks of Jesus as being the first born of all creation ( Qty. 1.15), he emphasizes that the first place and honor belong to Him. If we accept
this is the meaning of the word, it means that Jesus is the Lord of the dead, as well as the Lord of the living.
In the entire universe, in this world and in the world to come, in life and death, there is no place where Jesus is not Lord.
There are two points to note here:
a) This is a parallel to Ps. 88.28: " And I will make him the firstborn, above the kings of the earth". The Jewish scribes always considered this verse to be a description of the coming Messiah; and, therefore, to say that Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth is to say that He is the Messiah.
b) One commentator points to the connection of this title of Jesus with the story of His temptation, when the devil took Jesus to a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and said to Him, " I will give you all this, if you bow down to me» (Matt. 4:8.9; Luke 4:6.7).
The devil claimed that he was given power over all the kingdoms of the earth (Luke 4:6) and offered Jesus, if He entered into an alliance with him, to give Him a share in them. It is amazing that Jesus Himself, by His agony and death on the Cross and the power of the Resurrection, acquired what the devil promised Him, but could never give.
Not a compromise with evil, but unshakable fidelity and true love, which accepted even the Cross, made Jesus the Lord of the universe.
6 and made us kings and priests to his God and Father, glory and dominion forever and ever, amen.
(Rev. 1:6)
Few passages describe so beautifully what Jesus did for the people.
In Greek, the words to wash and free are very similar, respectively. luane and lane but are pronounced the same way. But there is no doubt that in the oldest and best Greek lists there is lane, that is, release.
John understands this to mean that Jesus freed us from our sins at the cost of His blood. This is what John says later when he speaks of those who have been redeemed by God through the blood of the Lamb (5:9). This is what Paul meant when he said that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law ( Gal. 3.13).
In both these cases, Paul used the word exagoradzein
, What means redeem from, pay the price at
buying a person or thing from someone who owns a person or thing.
Many should feel relieved when they learn that John is saying here that we are freed from our sins at the price of the blood, that is, at the price of the life of Jesus Christ.
There is another very interesting point here. Pay special attention to the tense of the verbs.
John insists that the expression Jesus loves us is in the present tense, which means that the love of God in Jesus Christ is something constant and uninterrupted.
The expression freed (washed), on the contrary, is in the past tense; Greek form aorist conveys a perfect action in the past, that is, our liberation
from sins was completely in one act of the Crucifixion.
In other words, what happened on the Cross was the only act available in time that served to express the continued love of God.
This is a quote from Ex. 19.6: " But you will be with me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation". Jesus did the following for us:
a) He gave us kingship. Through Him we can become true children of God; and if we are children of the King of kings, then there is no higher lineage than ours.
b) He made us priests. According to the old tradition, only the priest had the right of access to God.
A Jew entering the temple could pass the court of the Gentiles, the court of the women, and the court of the Israelites, but here he had to stop; he could not enter the courtyard of the priests, he could not
approach the Holy of Holies.
In a vision of the great days to come, Isaiah said: And you will be called priests of the Lord"(Is. 61.6). On that day, every person will be a priest and have access to God.
This is what John means here. Because of what Jesus has done for us, everyone has access to God. This is the priesthood of all believers.
We can boldly approach the throne of grace
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
(Heb. 4:16)
because we have a new and living way into the presence of God.
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter into the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus Christ, in a new and living way,
20 which he has revealed to us again through the veil, that is, his flesh,
21 and [having] a great Priest over the house of God,
22 let us draw near with a sincere heart, with full faith, having sprinkled our hearts clean of an evil conscience, and having washed our bodies with pure water,
(Heb. 10:19-22)
7 Behold, he is coming with clouds, and every eye shall see him, even those that pierced him; and all the families of the earth will mourn before him. Hey, amen.
(Rev. 1:7)
From this point on, we will have to constantly, in almost every passage, note John's appeal to the Old Testament. John was so saturated with the Old Testament that he could hardly write a paragraph without quoting it. This is remarkable and interesting.
John lived in an age when it was just scary to be a Christian. He himself knew exile, imprisonment and toil; and many accepted death in the most cruel forms. The best way to maintain courage and hope in this situation is to remember that in the past God has never left His people to fend for themselves, and that His power and strength have not diminished.
In this passage, John sets out the motto and text of his book, his faith in the victorious return of Christ, who will save Christians in trouble from the atrocities of their enemies.
John took the picture of this return from Daniel's vision of four great beasts that ruled the world (Dan. 7:1-14).
These were:
But the time of these beasts and cruel empires has passed, and dominion must be transferred to a gentle power, as it were to the Son of man.
13 I saw in visions of the night, behold, it was as if the Son of man was walking with the clouds of heaven, he came to the Ancient of Days and was brought to Him.
14 And unto him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, tribes, and tongues should serve him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom will not be destroyed.
(Dan. 7:13,14)
It is from this vision of the prophet Daniel that the picture of the Son of Man coming on the clouds comes again and again (Mat. 24:30; 26:64; Mar. 13:26;14,62) .
If we clear this picture of the elements of imagination characteristic of that time - we, for example, no longer think that the heavens are located somewhere immediately beyond the firmament of heaven - we are left with the unchanging truth that the day will come when Jesus Christ will be Lord
Total.
In this hope, Christians have always drawn strength and consolation, whose life was difficult, and faith often meant death.
Here John is referring to a quotation from Zech. 12.10: " ... they will look at him, whom they pierced, and they will mourn for him, as one mourns for an only begotten son, and mourn as one mourns for the firstborn«.
A quote from the Book of the Prophet Zechariah is connected with the story of how God gave His people a good shepherd, but the people, in their disobedience, madly killed him and took for themselves worthless and selfish shepherds, but the day will come when they bitterly repent, and on that day they they will look at the good shepherd whom they pierced and mourn for him and for what they have done.
John takes this picture and applies it to Jesus: the people crucified Him, but the day will come when they will look at Him again, and this time it will not be the humiliated Christ on the Cross, but the Son of God in the glory of heaven, Whom
given dominion over the entire universe.
It is clear that John was originally referring here to the Jews and Romans, who actually crucified Him. But in every generation and in every age those who sin
crucify Him again and again.
The day will come when those who have turned away from or resisted Jesus Christ will see that He is the Lord of the universe and the judge of their souls.
The passage ends with two exclamations: Hey, amen! In the Greek text, this expression corresponds to the words nai and amine. Nay is a Greek word, amine is a word of Hebrew origin. Both of them signify solemn consent: May it be so!
In the Hebrew alphabet, the first letter is aleph, and the last one is tav; the Jews had a similar expression. This expression points to the absolute fullness of God, in whom, according to one commentator, " boundless life that embraces and transcends everything«.
In other words, He is Eternal. He was when time began, He is now, and He will be when time ends. He was the God of all who believed in Him, He is a God we can trust today and nothing can ever happen in the future to separate us from Him.
In Greek, the Almighty pantokrator
- one whose power
applies to everything. It is interesting to note that this word occurs seven times in the New Testament: once in 2 Cor. 6:18 in a quote from the Old Testament, and all the other six times in Revelation.
Obviously, the use of this word is characteristic only of John. Just think what situation he is in.
wrote: the armored might of the Roman Empire rose to crush the Christian Church. No empire before this could resist Rome; what chance did the suffering, small, stray herd, whose only crime was Christ, have against Rome?
Purely humanly speaking, none; but when a person thinks so, he loses sight of the most important factor - God Almighty, pantocrator Who holds everything in his hands.
This word in the Old Testament characterizes the Lord God of hosts ( Am. 9.5; Os. 12.5). John uses the same word in a startling context: ... the Lord God Almighty reigned» ( Rev. 19.6).
If people are in such hands, nothing can destroy them.
When such a God stands behind the Christian Church, and as long as the Christian Church is faithful to her Lord,
nothing can destroy it.
John 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, and from Jesus Christ
Although there were many local churches, he sent only seven churches. He did so for the sake of the sevenfold number, which signifies the mystical of all existing churches, and also according to the correspondence of this number to the present life, in which to accept the sevenfold circle of days. For the same reason, he only mentions seven angels and seven churches, to which he sends his greeting: Grace to you and peace from the Trinitarian Deity". – in a word Syi the Father is signified, saying to Moses: Az am Siy(Ex. 3:14); expression: ilk be- the word that at the beginning be to God(John. I, 1); word coming- The Comforter, who always descends on the children of the Church in holy baptism and in fullness has to descend in the future age (Acts 2 ch.). - Under seven spirits one can understand seven Angels (who received control of the churches), not numbered with the God-original and Royal Trinity, but remembered with Her, as Her servants, as the divine Apostle, likewise, said: I will testify before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and His chosen angels(1 Tim. 5:21). You can understand this in another sense: under the expression: Siy and others like him and others who are coming- means the Father, Who in Himself contains the beginning, the middle and the end of the being of all things, under seven spirits- gifts of the Life-Giving Spirit, under " having to follow then- Jesus Christ, God, made man for us. For even with the Apostle the Divine Hypostases are placed before and after without any distinction: that is why he says here: and from Jesus Christ etc.
Interpretation of the Apocalypse.
John to the seven churches in Asia
Asia understood as elevation through which the human race is depicted. These seven churches and the seven candlesticks are something to pay close attention to, as they represent the sevenfold grace given by God through Jesus Christ our Lord, in whom we have believed, to our human race. For He promised us to send the Spirit of Comfort from heaven, Whom He also sent to the apostles, who seemed to be in Asia- that is, in the exalted world, where the Lord gave our churches through His servant John the sevenfold grace.
Presentation of Revelation.
What seven spirits? - Seven supreme Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and so on. St. Gabriel to St. Zechariah said: I'm one of God's coming(Luke 1:19) .
Letters.
John 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
The Apocalypse is proclaimed only to the Churches; The gospel is for all creation. The Church is the only eye through which mankind looks and beholds the last revelation; the only ear that hears the words of Christ. Peace is sent down from above to the Churches, the world above: “On the world above…”; peace and grace gospel; through the Church, as through the mouth, holy grace and peace enter the heart. Sub specie of the Apocalypse, Grace and peace are constantly lacking in the churches; many who thirst for grace and peace, many who thirst for Christ and seek peace. The world of Apocalypse is an amazing beginning for volcanic eruptions and upheavals in the bowels of Apocalypse. Peace to the Churches from Him Who is and was and is to come; unceasing myrrh-streaming, for it is necessary for the Church, against which the theomachists and Church-haters are constantly fighting; peace and grace, so that she exudes grace on the heads of those who fight against her.
Ascetic and theological chapters.
John 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
What is the people Asia that only he was worthy to receive the apostolic revelation? But there is a mystery in the number and a mystery in the name of the province. For we must first discuss the meaning of this number, because both the number six and the number seven, which are repeated in the law [of Moses], are always used in a mystical sense. For in six days the Lord created the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested from his works.(Ex. 20:11) ; (Heb. 4:10) . And also here: they will not enter my rest(Heb. 4:5) . So, the seven here means the state of the present age. Therefore, the apostle, it seems, sends this message not only seven churches or to the world in which he then lived, but transmits it to all future ages up to the destruction of the world. So he used the most sacred number and mentioned Asia, which translates as ascended or marching denoting, of course, the heavenly fatherland, which we call the Catholic Church, exalted by the Lord and always advancing towards the highest. As she advances in spiritual exercises, she continually lusts after heavenly things.
Here is revealed the sacrament of the number seven, which is pointed out everywhere. Here are introduced seven spirits who are one and the same Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit, one in name, but manifested in seven powers, invisible and incorporeal, whose image cannot be contemplated. The number of His seven powers was revealed by the great Isaiah, saying: spirit of wisdom and understanding so that through understanding and wisdom he teaches that He is the creator of all things; spirit of council and fortress who thinks and creates; spirit of knowledge and godliness who piously sustains creation by doing what He knows, and strives to do it always mercifully; spirit of the fear of the Lord whose gift the fear of the Lord is to intelligent creatures. This is the sacred description of the Spirit to be served. This description contains, rather, inexpressible praise and does not indicate the image of nature.
Treatise on Revelation.
And from the seven spirits that are before His throne
BUT seven spirits are the seven angels; not as equal or co-eternal they are attached to the Holy Trinity - far from it! – but as close servants and faithful servants. For the prophet says to God that everything serves you(Ps 119:91) ; and the angels also enter into the universal. And in another place he says about them: bless the Lord, all his hosts, his servants who do his will(Ps 102:21) . When writing the first letter to Timothy, the apostle used this image: Before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the chosen angels(1 Tim 5:21) . Obviously saying [seven spirits] who are before His throne, John once again gave evidence of their rank as monks and servants [of God], but not of equal honor.
1:1 which must soon be. See 22.6.7.10.12.20. Spiritual warfare takes place throughout the earthly life of the Church. The "last days" announced by the prophecies of the Old Testament opened with the resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:16-17). The waiting time has passed, God is bringing humanity into the final phase of its spiritual development. It is in this sense that these days are "the end time" (1 John 2:18).
1:2 the testimony of Jesus Christ. Those. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, Delivering the News of His Resurrection. Revelation itself is a message whose purpose is to strengthen the Christian witness. Revelation has the fullness of Divine authority and authenticity (22:20.6.16; 19:10).
1:3 Blessed is he who reads and hears. In Revelation not only words of condemnation are spoken to unbelievers, but also blessings to believers (14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7.14).
the words of this prophecy. See 22:7-10:18-19. Like Old Testament prophecy, Revelation combines visions of the future with exhortations to believers. Prophecy is a special inspired form of revealing the driving force of history, connecting all disparate events into a single picture of cause and effect relationships.
observant. Those. performing. Blessing comes not to the hearers, but to the doers of what they hear.
1:4-5 Greeting, typical for the genre of messages.
Seven churches. See 1.11; 2.1 - 3.22. In the book of Revelation, the number seven plays an important role (see Introduction; Contents), symbolizing completeness (Gen. 2,2.3). The choice of seven churches not only expresses this theme, but also indicates the broader content of the message, namely that it is addressed to all churches.
Asia. Asia (Asia) - a province of the Roman Empire, covering the west of present-day Turkey.
Which is and was and is to come. This expression is identical with the name of God in Exodus 3:14-22. See com. to 1.8.
from the seven spirits. The Holy Spirit is described in terms of a septenary fullness (4:5; Zech. 4:2.6). The source of grace and peace is the Trinity: God the Father ("Who is"), the Son (1:5), and the Spirit (cf. 1 Pet. 1:1-2; 2 Cor. 13:14).
1:5 a faithful witness. See com. to 1.2.
firstborn. See com. to 1.18.
lord. See com. to 4.1-5.14.
1:5-8 John gives glory to God in a form similar to the beginning of most of the letters of the apostle Paul. The themes of God's sovereignty, redemption, and the Second Coming of Christ are covered throughout the book of Revelation.
washed us. In the original: "who redeemed us." See com. to 5:1-14.
1:6 Worshiping God and glorifying Him is the main theme of Revelation. Praise God is an integral part of the spiritual struggle.
made us kings and priests. The saints delight in the law of God and, as priests, have immediate access to God (Heb. 10:19-22; 1 Pet. 2:5-9). In the future they will reign with Him (2:26-27; 3:21; 5:10; 20:4-6). All nations henceforth share in the priestly privileges bestowed on Israel (Ex. 19:6). The purposes of the redemption, typified by the exodus from Egypt, and the purposes for which man was given dominion over creation, are fulfilled in Christ (5:9-10).
The theme of priestly service and communion with God is combined in Revelation with the image of the temple (see com. to 4:1 - 5:14).
1:8 Alpha and Omega. The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. God is the Initiator and Finisher of creation. He is the Lord of the past, present and future, as indicated by the expression "is, and was, and is to come" (see 4:1-5:14N). His sovereign power over creation serves as a guarantee for the fulfillment of the goals set by Him (Rom. 8:18-25).
Which... is coming. This refers to the Second Coming of Christ as the final stage of God's plan.
1:9 partner ... in patience. The call to be patient and faithful is repeated throughout Revelation (2:2.3.13.19; 3:10; 6:11; 13:10; 14:12; 16:15; 18:4; 22:7.11.14). The exhortation is given in the midst of persecution and temptation (see Introduction: Time and Circumstances of Writing).
Patmos. A small island located off the western coast of Asia Minor.
1:10 was in the spirit. The Spirit of God communicates visions to John and opens the perspective of human history in its spiritual aspect.
on the day of resurrection. In the original: "the day of the Lord", i.e. the day when Christians prayerfully remember the resurrection of Christ. The Resurrection anticipates God's final victory (19:1-10).
1:11 to the churches. See com. to 1.4.
1:12-20 Christ appears before John in immeasurable glory (cf. 21:22-24). The expression "like the Son of Man" refers to the book of Daniel (7:13). The narrative of 1:12-16 is reminiscent of the visions of the prophets Daniel (7:9-10; 10:5-6) and Ezekiel (1:25-28), but it also has similarities with many other Old Testament manifestations of God. The vision shows Christ in the form of Judge and Lord - primarily over the churches (1.20 - 3.22), and also over the entire universe (1.17.18; 2.27). His Divine dignity, power and victory over death serve as a guarantee of the final victory at the end of human history (1:17-18; 17:14; 19:11-16). This vision of God Almighty, whose authority is exercised through Christ, is fundamental to the book of Revelation.
Lampstands symbolize churches as bearers of light or testimony (1:20; Matt. 5:14-16). Christ walks among the churches as Lord and Shepherd, just as the cloud of God's glory descended and abode in the tabernacle and in the temple where the lamps were (Ex. 25:31-40; 1 Kings 7:49). Light, as one of the attributes of God (1 John 1:5), finds its highest manifestation in Christ (John 1:4-5; 8:12; 9:5; Acts 26:13); it is also reflected in various ways in His creation: in the flames of angels (10:1; Ezek. 1:13), in natural light (21:23; Gen. 1:3), in temple lamps, in churches, and in every person ( Matthew 5:14-15). Thus, the Lord shows the background against which the completion of the creation of the universe takes place (Eph. 1:10; Col. 1:16-17). Since all creation is contained by Christ (Col. 1:17), the trinitarian images in 1:12-20 and 4:1-5:14 lay the foundation for all Revelation. And just as the essence of the Trinity is deeply mysterious, so the images of Revelation are inexhaustibly deep.
1:15 the sound of many waters. See com. to 1.10.
1:16 Sword. See 19:15; Heb. 4.12; Is. 11.4.
like a sun. See 21:22-25; Is. 60.1-3.19.20.
1:17 I am the First and the Last. The same as "Alpha and Omega" (1.8 and com.; 2.8; 22.13; Is.41.4; 44.6; 48.12).
1:18 live. Otherwise: living. The resurrection of Christ and His new life condition the new life of His people (2:8; 5:9.10; 20:4.5) and the renewal of all creation (22:1).
I have the keys... of death. These words anticipate 20:14.
1:19 This verse probably indicates the division of the content of Revelation in time into past (1:12-16), present (2:1-3:22) and future (4:1-22:5). However, this division is very relative, since some fragments of the content of each part belong to all three periods.
1:20 Angels."Angel" means "messenger". In the Word of God it can refer to people, especially pastors of churches, or to angels as spiritual beings. The prominent role given to angels in Revelation leads us to think that it is angels who are meant here as ministering spirits (22:6; Dan. 10:10-21).
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ was given to Him by God to show His servants everything that was about to happen. And Christ announced this by sending an angel to His servant, John.
2 John confirms everything he saw. This is the message of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed is he who reads and hears the words of this message of God, and keeps all that is written in it. For the hour is at hand.
4 From John to the seven churches that are in the province of Asia. Peace and grace to you from God who is, who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne,
5 and Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the first who was taken up from the dead, the Lord over the kings of the earth. He loves us and by His Blood has freed us from our sins.
6 He united us into a kingdom and made us priests in the service of God His Father. Glory to Him and power forever. Amen!
7 Know: He will come in the clouds, and all will see Him, even those who pierced Him with a spear. And all the people on earth will mourn for Him. This is true! Amen.
8 "I am the beginning and the end," says the Lord God, "the One who always was, is, and is to come, the Almighty."
9 I am John your brother, who shares with you the sufferings, the kingdom and longsuffering in Christ. I was on the island of Patmos when I preached the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
10 In the day of the Lord the Spirit took possession of me, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet.
11 He said, "Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."
13 And between the lampstands I saw one who looked like the Son of Man. He was dressed in long robes, and on His chest was a golden band.
14 His head and hair were as white as white wool or snow, and His eyes were like a bright flame.
15 His feet were like bronze, shimmering in a melting furnace. His voice was like the sound of a waterfall,
16 and in his right hand he had seven stars. In His mouth was a double-edged sword, and in all His appearance He was like a brightly shining sun.
17 Seeing Him, I fell at His feet as if dead. And then He laid His right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,
18 I am the one who lives. I was dead, and now, look, I am alive and will live forever, and I have the keys to hell and the kingdom of the dead.
19 So describe what you have seen, what is happening now, and what will happen after that.
20 And this is the secret of the seven stars that you see in My right hand and the seven golden candlesticks: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches."
1 "Write to the angel of the Ephesian church: This is what He says to you Who holds the seven stars in His right hand and passes between the seven golden candlesticks.
2 I know your deeds, your hard work and long-suffering, I also know that you cannot bear bad people and tested those who call themselves Apostles and found that they are liars.
3 I know that you have patience and that you have labored for Me, but have not grown tired of all this.
4 But this is what I have against you: you have denied the love that you had in the beginning.
5 So remember where you were before the fall. Repent and do the deeds that you did in the beginning. And if you do not repent, then I will come to you and remove your lamp from its place.
6 It is to your advantage, however, that the deeds of the Nicolaitans are hateful to you, just as they are hateful to Me.
7 Whoever hears this should listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever wins, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the garden of God."
8 "Write the following to the angel of the Smyrna church: This is what the First and the Last say to you, Who died and came back to life again.
9 I know about your suffering and about your poverty (although in fact you are rich) and about the slander that those who say that they are Jews (although they are not) brought against you, but in fact their synagogue belongs to the devil.
10 Do not be afraid that you will have to suffer. Listen! The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will languish there for ten days. But be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the crown of life.
11 He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Whoever wins will not be harmed by the second death."
12 "Write to the angel of the church in Pergamon: This is what He who has a two-edged sword says.
13 I know that you live where the throne of Satan is. And I also know that you hold fast to My name and did not renounce your faith in Me even when Antipas, My faithful witness, was killed in your city, where Satan dwells.
14 And yet I have something against you. There are some among you who adhere to the teachings of Balaam, who taught Balak to force the people of Israel to commit sin. They ate the food offered to idols and thus committed adultery.
15 You also have some who adhere to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.
16 Repent! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and fight those people with a sword that comes out of my mouth.
17 Whoever hears this, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To the one who wins, I will give the hidden manna. And I will also give him a white stone, on which a new name is inscribed. No one knows this name except the one who receives it."
18 "Write to the angel of the Thyatira church: This is what the Son of God says, Whose eyes are like blazing fire and Whose feet are like blazing bronze.
19 I know about your deeds, love, about your faith, service and longsuffering. And I know that you are doing more things now than before.
20 But this is what I have against you: you treat with indulgence that woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. With her teachings, she deceives My servants, and they commit adultery and eat food sacrificed to idols.
21 I gave her time to repent, but she is unwilling to repent of her spiritual adultery.
22 And I am ready to throw her on a bed of torment, and those who committed adultery with her, subject to great suffering, if they do not repent of the evil deeds committed with her at the same time.
23 I will kill their children, sending a plague on them, and all the churches will know that I am the One who penetrates the minds and hearts of people. I will reward each of you for what you have done.
24 Now I want to say to all the others in Thyatira who do not follow those instructions and do not know the so-called depths of Satan, that I will not place another burden on you,
25 but hold on to what you have until I come.
26 To the one who overcomes and does as I command to the end, I will give power over the Gentiles, just as I received it from my Father,
27 and he "will rule over them with iron, and break them to pieces like earthenware vessels."
28 And I will give him the morning star.
29 He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
1 "Write to the angel of the Church of Sardis: This is what the Possessor of the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says. I know about your deeds and that you are considered alive, although in fact you are dead.
2 Be vigilant and strengthen what is left before it is completely dead. For I do not find that your works are perfect before My God.
3 So remember the instructions that were given to you and that you heard. Obey them and repent! If you do not wake up, then I will come suddenly, like a thief, and you will not know when I will come to you.
4 But there are a few of you in Sardis who have not stained their garments. They will walk with me in all white, for they are worthy.
5 The one who wins will be dressed in white clothes. I will not erase his name from the book of life, but I will acknowledge his name before my Father and before the angels.
6 Whoever hears this should listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches."
7 "Write the following to the angel of the Philadelphia church: This is what the Holy and True one says, Who has the key of David, Who opens - and no one will close, closes - and no one will open.
8 I know about your works. Look, I have placed before you an open door that no one can close, for although you have little power, you have kept My word and have not denied My name.
9 Listen! I will make those who belong to the satanic synagogue and say that they are Jews, although in fact they are not and they are deceivers, come and bow at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you.
10 For you have fulfilled my command of patience. I, in turn, will protect you during the trials that are approaching the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
11 I will come soon. Keep what you have, so that no one can take away your crown of conquerors.
12 He who overcomes will become a pillar in the temple of my God, and will not come out of it again. And I will inscribe on it the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which shall come down out of heaven from my God, and my new name.
13 He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
14 "Write the following to the angel of the Laodicean church: This is what the Amen says, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.
15 I know of your labors and that you are neither hot nor cold. How I wish you were either hot or cold!
16 But if you are neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth!
17 You say: "I am rich, I have become rich and I do not need anything," but you do not realize that you are unhappy, miserable, poor, blind and naked!
18 I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire in order to become rich. And also white robes to put on yourself so that your shameful nakedness is not visible. And buy a potion for your eyes to see clearly!
19 I rebuke and punish those I love. So be zealous and repent sincerely!
20 Look! I stand at the door and knock! If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and sit down to eat with him, and he will eat with Me.
21 To him who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I myself overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
22 He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
1 After that I looked and saw before me a door open to heaven. And the voice that spoke to me earlier, sounding like a trumpet, said, "Come here, I'll show you what's to happen in the future."
2 And immediately I found myself in the power of the Spirit. Before me in heaven was a throne, and on the throne was the One seated.
3 A radiance emanated from the Sitting One, like that of jasper and sardis. Around the throne shone a rainbow like an emerald.
4 Around him were twenty-four more thrones, and twenty-four elders sat on them. Their clothes were white, and on their heads were crowns of gold.
5 There was a flash of lightning from the throne, a roar and peals of thunder. Seven lamps burned before the throne - the seven spirits of God.
6 In front of the throne was something like the sea, clear as glass. And there were four animals standing before the throne and around it, with many eyes in front and behind.
7 And the first of them was like a lion, the second like a bull, and the third had a human face. The fourth was like a flying eagle.
8 And each of the four had six wings, and they were covered with eyes inside and out. Day and night they continually repeated: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, is, and is to come."
9 And while these living creatures offer honor, praise and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
10 The twenty-four elders prostrate themselves before Him who sits on the throne, and worship Him who lives forever and ever. They place their crowns before the throne and say:
11 "The Lord our God, you are worthy of all glory, praise and power, for you created everything, and everything exists and was created by your will."
1 And then I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll covered with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice: "Who is worthy to break the seals and unroll the scroll?"
3 But there was no one in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth, who could unroll the scroll and look into it.
4 I wept bitterly, for no one was found worthy to open the scroll and look into it.
5 Then one of the elders said to me: "Don't cry. Listen, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of David, won, he will be able to break the seven seals and unroll the scroll."
6 And I saw that in the midst of the throne, with the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood the Lamb, and His appearance was as if He had been slain. He has seven horns and seven eyes - the spirits of God sent to all lands.
7 And He came and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
8 When He took the scroll, four living creatures and twenty-four elders fell on their faces before the Lamb. Each of them had a harp, and they held golden bowls full of incense - the prayers of God's people.
9 And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break the seals, for you were sacrificed and redeemed people for God with your sacrificial blood from every tribe, language and dialect and people.
10 You made a kingdom out of them and made them priests of our God, and they will reign over the earth."
13 And then I heard all the creatures of the earth, heaven, underground and sea - all the creatures of the universe. They said, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, praise, and honor, and glory, and might, forever and ever."
14 And the four animals answered, "Amen!" And then the elders fell on their faces and began to worship.
1 And I saw the Lamb break the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the beasts say with a voice like thunder, "Come."
2 And I looked then, and saw before me a white horse. The horseman had a bow in his hands and a crown was given to him, and he, victorious, went to win.
3 The Lamb broke the second seal, and I heard the second beast say, "Come."
4 And then another horse came out, red as fire. And the rider was given permission to deprive the earth of peace and force people to kill one another. And they gave him a great sword.
5 And the Lamb broke the third seal, and I heard the third beast say, "Come." And then I looked, and there was a black horse in front of me. The rider held the scales in his hands.
7 And the Lamb broke the fourth seal, and I heard the voice of the fourth animal saying, "Come."
8 And then I looked, and there stood before me a pale horse and rider, whose name was "Death," and Hell followed him. And power was given to him over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword, hunger and disease, and with the help of wild animals.
9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who were put to death because they were obedient to the word of God and the truth they had received.
11 And each of them was given white robes, and was told to wait a little longer, until a certain number of their fellow servants of Christ would be slain like them.
12 When the Lamb broke the sixth seal, I looked, and there was a great earthquake. The sun turned black and became like a sackcloth, and the whole moon became bloody.
13 The stars of heaven fell to the earth like unripe figs that fall from a fig tree when it is shaken by a strong wind.
14 The heavens were split and rolled up like a scroll, and all the mountains and islands were moved from their places.
15 The kings of the earth, the rulers, the captains, the rich and the strong, - everything: both slaves and free, hid in caves and among the rocks in the mountains.
16 And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Come down on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.
17 The day of great wrath has come, and who can survive it?
1 After that I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that not one wind would blow on the earth, the sea, and the trees.
2 Then I saw another angel coming from the east. He bore the seal of the living God, and he cried out with a loud voice, addressing the four angels who are allowed to harm the earth and the sea.
3 He said, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, and the trees until we mark the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads."
4 And then I heard how many people were sealed: one hundred and forty-four thousand, and they were from every generation of Israel.
5 From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand;
6 from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand;
7 From the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand;
8 From the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand.
9 After this, I looked, and behold, a crowd of people appeared before me, which no one could count. And there was in it every nation, every dialect, and every tongue, and every nation. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands.
10 And they cried out, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
11 All the angels stood around the throne, the elders and the four living creatures, and they all prostrated themselves before the throne and began to worship God, saying:
12 "Amen! Praise and glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, might and strength to our God forever and ever. Amen!"
13 Then one of the elders asked me: "Who are these people dressed in white clothes, and where did they come from?"
14 I answered him, "Sir, you know who they are." Then he said to me, "These people are those who have gone through great trials. They have washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb and made them pure and white.
15 That's why they stand now before the throne of God and worship God day and night in His temple. He who sits on the throne will protect them with His presence.
16 Never again will they be hungry or thirsty. Never scorch their sun or sizzling heat.
17 For the Lamb who is before the very throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to the fountain of life. And God will dry their tears."
1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, silence reigned in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And then I saw seven angels standing before God. They were given seven trumpets.
3 Then another angel came and stood before the altar, holding a golden censer, and much incense was given to him, so that with the prayers of all the saints of God he would burn it on the golden altar before the throne.
4 And with the prayers of the saints, the smoke of incense ascended from the hands of the angel straight to God.
5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it on the ground. And then there were peals of thunder, a roar, flashes of lightning flashed and an earthquake happened.
6 And seven angels with seven trumpets prepared to blow.
7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail fell, mixed with blood and fire, and it all fell to the ground. A third of the earth was burned, a third of the trees were burned, and all the grass was burned.
8 The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain engulfed in fire fell into the sea, and a third of the sea turned into blood.
9 And a third of all living things that were in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a huge star fell from heaven, blazing like a lamp. And it fell on a third of the rivers and springs.
11 The name of the star was Wormwood. And a third of all waters became bitter. And many died from this water, for it became bitter.
12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars were eclipsed, and their third part became black. And therefore the day lost a third of its light, and the night also.
13 And I looked then, and heard an eagle flying high in the sky. And he said with a loud voice: "Woe, woe, woe to those who live on earth, for the sound of the trumpets of the remaining three angels will be heard, which are already preparing to blow!"
1 The fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fall from heaven to earth. And she was given the key to the passage leading to the abyss.
2 And she opened the passage leading to the abyss, and smoke came out of the passage, as if from a huge furnace. And the sky darkened, and the sun was dimmed from the smoke that poured from the passage.
3 And out of a cloud of smoke fell locusts to the earth, and power was given to them, like that which scorpions have on the earth.
4 But she was told not to harm the grass, or the earth, or the plants, or the trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
5 And the command was given to that locust not to kill them, but to torment them with pain for five months. And that pain was like the pain that a scorpion inflicts when it stings a person.
6 And all this time people will seek death, but they will not be able to find it. They will long for death, but it will not come to them.
7 And the locusts were like horses ready for battle. The locusts had crowns of gold on their heads, and their faces looked like human faces.
8 Her hair was like a woman's hair, and her teeth were like lion's fangs.
9 And her chest was like iron armor, and the noise of her wings was like the roar of many chariots drawn by horses rushing into battle.
10 She had tails with stings like the stings of scorpions, and the tails had enough power to hurt people for five months.
11 And their king was an angel who guarded the abyss, and his name was Abaddon in Hebrew, but in Greek he was called Apollyon.
12 The first trouble is over. But two more big troubles will follow her.
13 The sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice resounding from the four horns of the golden altar that was before God.
15 And four angels were released, who were ready for this very hour, day, month, and year, to kill one-third of the people.
16 I heard how many horses were there - two hundred million.
17 And in my vision, this is what the horses and their riders looked like. Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and brimstone yellow. Their heads were like lions' heads, and fire, smoke, and brimstone came out of their mouths.
18 And with these three misfortunes, one third of the people were killed - fire, smoke and brimstone that erupted from their mouths.
19 The strength of the horses was in their mouths and tails, for their tails were like snakes with heads that sting and strike people.
20 The rest of the people, those who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of what they had done with their own hands. They have not stopped worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, copper, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or move.
21 They did not repent of their murders, nor of witchcraft, nor of adultery, nor of theft.
1 then I saw another mighty angel descending from heaven. He was dressed in a cloud and had a rainbow around his head. And his face was like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire.
2 In his hand he had a small unrolled scroll. He put his right foot on the sea and his left foot on dry land,
4 When the seven thunders spoke, I prepared to write, but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Keep in secret what the seven thunders said and do not write it down."
5 And then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on dry land raised his right hand to heaven
6 and swore by the name of Him who lives forever and ever, who made the heavens and everything in it, and the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it: “There will be no more delay:
7 When the time comes for the seventh angel to be heard, when he prepares to blow the trumpet, then the mystery of God will be accomplished, which He proclaimed to His servants, the prophets.
9 And I approached the angel and asked Him to give me a scroll. He said to me, "Take the scroll and eat it. It will be bitter in your stomach, but it will be sweet in your mouth, like honey."
10 And I took the scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet in my mouth from it, like from honey, but as soon as I ate it, it became bitter in my stomach.
11 And he said to me then: "You must again prophesy about many peoples, tribes, tongues and kings."
1 And they gave me a staff like a rod to serve me as a measure, and it was said to me, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar and count those who worship there.
2 But take no account of the outer court of the temple, nor measure it, for it has been given over to the Gentiles. They will trample on the streets of the holy city for forty-two months.
3 And I will give free rein to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days and put on robes of affliction."
4 These witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.
5 If anyone tries to harm them, then the flame will escape from their mouths and incinerate their enemies. And therefore, if anyone tries to harm them, then so he will perish.
6 They have power to shut up the sky so that it does not rain while they are prophesying. And they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and the power to strike the earth with all sorts of plagues whenever they want.
7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes out of the abyss will attack them. And he will defeat them and kill them.
8 And their corpses will lie in the streets of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, and where the Lord was crucified.
9 People of all nations, tribes, tongues and dialects will look at their corpses for three and a half days and will not let them be buried.
10 Those who inhabit the earth will rejoice that these two are dead, they will feast and send gifts to each other, for those two prophets tormented the inhabitants of the earth.
11 But after three and a half days the life-giving spirit of God entered into the prophets, and they rose to their feet. Great fear seized those who saw them,
13 And at that moment there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were scared to death and gave glory to God in the heavens.
14 The second great tribulation has passed, but the third great tribulation is coming.
15 The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and loud voices rang out in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has now become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever."
16 And the twenty-four elders, who sat before God on their thrones, fell down on their faces and began to worship God.
17 They said: “We thank You, Lord God Almighty, He who was and He who is, because You have taken authority upon Yourself and have begun to rule.
18 The Gentiles were angry, but now the hour of your wrath has come. The time has come to judge those who are dead and give rewards to Your servants, prophets, Your saints, those who honor You, small and great. The time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth!"
19 The temple of God was opened in heaven, and the sacred casket with the agreement was visible in the temple. And lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and an earthquake happened, and a large hail fell.
1 And a great sign appeared in the sky: a woman clothed with the sun. Under her feet was the moon, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars.
2 And she was pregnant, and she cried out in pain in the pains of childbirth, for childbirth had already begun.
3 And then a new vision appeared in the sky: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns and seven crowns on their heads.
4 With his tail he swept away one-third of the stars in the sky and threw them to the ground. The dragon stood in front of a woman who was giving birth, so that as soon as she gave birth, he would devour her baby.
5 And she gave birth to a son, who was appointed to rule the nations with a rod of iron. And they took her child and carried him to God and to His throne.
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, to where God had prepared a place for her, to be cared for there for a period of one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
7 And war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought against them,
8 but he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.
9 The dragon was thrown down. (This dragon is an old serpent called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.) He was thrown to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
11 Our brethren overcame Him by the blood of the Lamb and the testimony of the truth. They did not value their lives even under the threat of death.
12 So rejoice, heavens, and those who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come upon you! He is full of malice, for he knows that he has little time left!"
13 When the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the ground, he began to pursue the woman who had given birth to a boy.
14 But they gave the woman two great eagle's wings to fly into the wilderness, to where a place had been prepared for her. There they were supposed to take care of her for three and a half years away from the snake.
15 Then the dragon, pursuing the woman, spouted water from his mouth like a river to overwhelm the woman.
16 But the earth helped the woman, and, opening her mouth, swallowed up the water spewed out of the dragon's mouth.
17 The dragon got angry with the woman and went to fight with the rest of her offspring, those who fulfill the commandments of God and adhere to the truth taught by Jesus.
1 And then I saw a beast coming out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads: on his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads were written blasphemous names.
2 The beast that I saw was like a leopard, its paws were like those of a bear, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. The dragon gave him his strength, his throne and great power.
3 One of the beast's heads looked like it had a mortal wound, but that mortal wound had healed. The whole world was smitten and followed the beast
4 And they began to worship the dragon, for he gave his power to the beast. They also worshiped the beast and said: "Who can be compared with the power of the beast, and who can fight with him?"
5 And a mouth was given to the beast to speak proudly and insultingly. And authority was given him to do this for forty-two months.
6 And he began to blaspheme, insulting the name of God, his habitation, and those who dwell in heaven.
7 And he was allowed to fight against the people of God and overcome them, and power was given to him over all nations, peoples, tongues and dialects.
8 All who dwell on earth will worship the beast, all those whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 Whoever hears all this should hear this:
10 "Whoever is to be captured will be captured. Whoever kills with the sword will himself be killed with the sword." That's when the people of God need longsuffering and faith.
11 And then I saw another beast coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.
12 And in the presence of the first beast, he shows the same power as that one, and makes all those living on earth worship the first beast, whose mortal wound has healed.
13 He performs great miracles, so that even fire descends from heaven to earth in front of people.
14 He deceives those who dwell on the earth, working miracles in the presence of the first beast. And he orders those who live on earth to make an image of the first beast, which was wounded by the sword, but did not die.
15 And he was allowed to breathe life into the image of the first beast, so that this image could not only speak, but also order to kill all who would not worship him.
16 He compelled all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to let themselves be branded on their right hand or forehead,
17 so that no one can sell or buy anything from anyone who does not have such a brand, and the brand was the name of the beast or the number that signified his name.
18 This requires wisdom. Anyone who has reason can understand the meaning of the number of the beast, for it corresponds to the human number. The number is six hundred and sixty six.
1 I looked, and behold, standing before me was the Lamb on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand men, and on his forehead was his name and the name of the Father.
3 And the people sang a new song before the throne and the four living creatures and before the elders. And no one could learn this song, except for those one hundred and forty thousand who were redeemed from the world.
4 These are those who have not defiled themselves by intercourse with a woman, for they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They are redeemed from the rest of the people, they are the first part of the harvest of God and the Lamb.
5 Their lips have never spoken lies, they are blameless.
6 Then I saw another angel flying high in the sky. He carried with him the eternal gospel, which he was to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every dialect, nation, tongue, and people.
8 And then the second angel followed the first and said, "She has fallen! The great harlot Babylon has fallen, she who made all nations drink the wine of the wrath of God against her wantonness."
9 And the third angel followed the first two and said aloud: "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and takes a brand on his forehead or on his hand,
10 he will drink the undiluted wine of the wrath of God from the cup of God's wrath. And they will torture him with boiling sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb,
11 and the smoke from the fire of that torture will be smoked forever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who honor the beast and its image, and for those who are marked with his name.
12 This is when longsuffering is required of the people of God who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."
14 And I looked then, and there was a white cloud before me, and on the cloud sat one like the Son of Man. He had a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hands.
15 And another angel came out of the temple and called out with a loud voice to the one who was sitting on the cloud: "Take your sickle and reap, for the harvest time has come, the harvest of the earth is ripe."
16 And he that sat on the cloud waved the sickle over the earth, and reaped the harvest on the earth.
17 And then another angel went out of the temple in heaven. He also had a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came up from the altar, who had power over fire, and loudly cried out to the angel with a sharp sickle: "Take your sharp sickle and cut the grapes in the vineyard of the earth, for the grapes are ripe."
19 And the angel waved his sickle over the earth and harvested the grapes on the earth and threw the grapes into the vineyard of the great wrath of God.
20 And they pressed the grapes in a vise outside the city, and blood flowed from the vise and rose to the bridles of horses for almost three hundred kilometers around.
1 And then I saw another wonderful and great sign. I saw seven angels with seven last disasters - the last ones, for the wrath of God ended with them.
2 And I saw something like a sea of glass engulfed in fire, and I saw those who won victory over the beast, over its image and over the number that makes up its name. They stood by the sea, holding God's harp.
3 They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: “Great and wonderful are thy works, O Lord God Almighty. Righteous and true are thy ways, King of the nations.
4 Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship You, for Your righteous works are evident."
5 After this I looked, and behold, the temple of heaven, the temple of the tabernacle of testimony, was opened,
6 and seven angels with the seven last plagues left the temple. They were dressed in clean, sparkling linen robes and had a golden band around their chests.
7 And then one of the animals gave the seven angels seven golden bowls, overflowing with the wrath of God who lives now and forever and ever.
8 And the temple was filled with the smoke of the glory and power of God, so that no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues brought by the seven angels had ended.
2 And the first angel went away and poured out his cup on the earth. And immediately terrible painful ulcers showered those people who were marked with the seal of the beast and worshiped his image.
3 And then the second angel poured out his cup into the sea, and it turned into blood, like the blood of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.
4 And then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs, and they turned into blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say: “O Holy One, Who is and has always been, You are just in the judgments that You have pronounced.
6 For they shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you gave them blood to drink. They deserve it."
7 And I heard them say at the altar, "Yes, Lord God Almighty, your judgments are true and just."
8 And then the fourth angel poured out his cup on the sun, and he was allowed to burn the people with fire,
9 And the people were consumed in a great fire. And they blasphemed the name of God, in Whose power it was to torment them, but they did not repent and did not glorify Him.
10 And then the fifth angel poured out his cup on the throne of the beast, and the kingdom of the beast was plunged into darkness, and they bit their tongues in pain.
11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and sores, but did not repent of their deeds.
12 And then the sixth angel poured out his bowl into the great river Euphrates, and its waters dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east.
13 And then I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 These were demonic spirits that could work miracles. They went to the kings of the whole world to gather together for battle on the great day of Almighty God.
15 "Listen! I will come unexpectedly, like a thief. Blessed are those who watch and keep their clothes close at hand, so that he does not have to run out naked and so that people do not see his shameful places!"
16 And they assembled the kings in that place which in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
17 And then the seventh angel threw his cup into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, "It is done."
18 And lightning flashed, and thunder roared, and there was a great earthquake. Such a strong earthquake has not happened in all the time since man appeared on earth.
19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the heathen fell. God remembered the great Babylon and punished her and gave her to drink the cup of His furious wrath.
20 All the islands have disappeared, and there are no mountains left.
21 Huge hailstones, each weighing a talent, fell from heaven on people, and people cursed the name of God because of this hail, for this disaster was terrible.
1 And then one of the seven angels with seven bowls came up to me and said, “Come, I will show you what punishment is sent to the great harlot who sits over many waters.
2 The kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and those who dwell on the earth were drunk with the wine of her fornication."
3 And I found myself in the power of the spirit, which carried me into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a red beast. This beast was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads with ten horns.
4 The woman was dressed in purple and red robes, and she wore jewelry of gold, precious stones, and pearls. In her hand was a golden bowl full of the abomination and filth of her fornication.
5 On her forehead was inscribed a name with a secret meaning: "The great city of Babylon, the mother of harlots and all abominations on the earth."
6 And I saw that she was drunk with the blood of God's saints and the blood of those who had died testifying of Jesus. And when I saw her, I was amazed.
7 The angel asked me: “What are you surprised about? I will explain to you the secret meaning of this woman and the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits.
8 The beast you saw was once alive, but now it is dead. But still he will rise from the abyss and go to perdition. And those who live on earth, whose names are not inscribed in the book of life from the beginning of the world, will be surprised to see the beast, for he was alive once, is not alive now, and yet will appear again.
9 It takes wisdom to understand all this. The seven heads are the seven hills on which the woman sits, they are also the seven kings.
10 The first five have already died, one is still alive, and the last has not yet appeared. When he comes, he will not long be here to stay.
11 The beast, which was once alive, and now lifeless, is the eighth king, one of the seven, and he goes to his death.
12 The ten horns that you see are ten kings who have not yet begun to rule, but they will receive the power to rule each one hour with the beast.
13 All ten kings have the same intentions, and they will give their power to the beast.
14 They will fight with the Lamb, but He will overcome them, for He is the Lord of lords and King of kings, along with His chosen, called and faithful."
15 And then the angel said to me: “The waters that you see where the harlot sits are different peoples, many tribes and languages.
16 The ten horns that you saw, and the beast itself, will hate the harlot and take from her everything that she owns and leave her naked. They will devour her body and burn her with fire.
17 Because God has put in ten horns the desire to do His will: to give the beast the power of government until the word of God is fulfilled.
18 The woman you saw is a great city that rules over the kings of the earth."
1 And after this I saw another angel descend from heaven, clothed with great power, and the earth was illumined with his splendor.
3 For all the nations have drunk the wine of her fornication and the wine of God's wrath. The kings of the earth have debauched with her, and the merchants of the whole world have grown rich because of her great luxury."
5 For her sins are heaped up like a mountain to heaven, and God remembers all her sins.
6 Repay her for the way she treated others, repay double for what she did. Prepare for her wine twice as strong as that which she has prepared for others.
7 How much she brought herself luxury and glory, bring her so much grief and torment. For she goes on saying to herself: "I sit on the throne like a queen. I am not a widow, and I will never grieve."
8 And therefore, in one day, all kinds of disasters will overtake her: death, bitter weeping and great famine. And she will be burned in fire, for mighty is the Lord God who condemned her."
9 The kings of the earth, those who indulged in debauchery with her and shared luxury with her, will mourn for her, seeing the smoke from the fire on which she burns.
10 And standing at a distance from her, out of fear of her torment, they will say: "Woe! Woe! O great city! O mighty city of Babylon! In one hour punishment has befallen you!"
11 And merchants all over the world will weep and mourn for her, for no one buys goods from them anymore:
12 gold, silver, precious stones and pearls, linen, purple, silk and red fabrics, and lemon wood, and all kinds of articles made of ivory, precious wood, copper, iron and marble,
13 cinnamon, spices, aromatic incense, incense, myrrh, wine and oil, the best flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and wagons, and the bodies and souls of men.
14 "O great Babylon! All that precious thing that you sought to own has left you. All luxury and splendor have been lost, and you will never find them again."
15 Merchants who sold all these things to her and became rich at her expense will keep aloof for fear of her torment. They will weep and mourn for her,
16 saying, “Woe! Woe to the great city! She was clothed in linen, scarlet, and red garments. She sparkled with gold, precious stones, and pearls.
17 And all this wealth was destroyed in just one hour!" And all the helmsmen, and all who sail in ships, and all the sailors, and all who live off the sea, kept aloof,
18 And when they saw smoke rising from the fire in which it was burned, they cried out, “Is there a city equal to this?”
19 They sprinkled ashes on their heads and wept and mourned, exclaiming: “Woe! Woe to the great city! All those who had ships of the sea were enriched by her wealth, but she was destroyed in one hour!
20 Rejoice, heavens! Rejoice, Apostles, prophets and all the saints of God! For God punished her for everything she did to you!"
21 And then the mighty angel lifted up a stone the size of a millstone, threw it into the sea, and said, “This is how the great city of Babylon will be overthrown and perish forever!
22 Never again will there be heard here the sounds of harp playing and singing, playing pipes and blowing trumpets! There will never be any crafts here again, and there will never be a noise of millstones.
23 The lamp will never be lit, the voices of bridegrooms and brides will never be heard again. Your merchants were great in this world. All nations have been deceived by your sorcery.
24 She is guilty of the blood of the prophets, God's saints, and all those who were slain on earth!"
1 After that I heard a loud noise, like the voice of a multitude in the heavens. They sang: "Hallelujah! Victory, glory and power belongs to our God,
2 for his judgment is true and just. He punished the harlot who corrupted the earth with her debauchery. He punished the harlot to repay the death of His servants."
3 And again they sang: "Hallelujah! The smoke will rise above her forever and ever!"
4 And after that, the twenty-four elders and the four animals fell down on their faces and began to worship God who sat on the throne. They exclaimed: "Amen! Hallelujah!"
7 Let us rejoice, and rejoice, and praise Him, for the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and His bride is already prepared.
8 They gave her to put on garments of clean, sparkling linen.” Linen signifies the righteous deeds of God’s saints.
9 Then the angel said to me: "Write down: blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God."
10 And I fell down at his feet, worshiping, but he said to me, "Don't do this! I am as much a servant as you and your brothers, who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For in the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
11 And then I saw that the sky was opened, and a white horse appeared before me. Whoever sits on it is called True and Faithful, for He judges and makes war justly.
12 His eyes are like a blazing fire. On His head are many crowns, and on them is written a name that no one knows except Himself.
13 He is dressed in garments washed with blood. His name is "Word of God".
14 He was followed by an army of riders on white horses, dressed in clean, sparkling clothes from a thin white linen.
15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword, with which he will smite the Gentiles. He will rule them with a rod of iron, and press the wine with the vine-grip of the furious wrath of Almighty God.
16 On his thigh and on his white robe was written his name: "King of kings and Lord of lords."
17 And then I saw an angel standing in the sun and he called aloud to the birds soaring high in the sky: "Come, flock all together to the great feast of God,
18 to devour the corpses of kings and generals and the great ones of this world, the corpses of horses and their riders, the corpses of freemen and slaves, the corpses of small and great."
19 And then I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, together with their armies, assembled to fight against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
20 But they seized the beast along with the false prophet who performed miracles for the beast. With these miracles, he deceived those who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into a boiling lake of fiery sulfur.
21 The rest who were in their army were killed by the sword that came out of the mouth of him who sat on the horse. And all the birds ate their corpses to their fill.
1 And then I saw an angel descending from heaven. In his hand was the key to the abyss and a thick chain.
2 He seized the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and he bound him so that he could not free himself for a thousand years.
3 The angel cast him into the abyss, shut him up and sealed the exit over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years had elapsed, after which he was to be released for a short time.
4 Then I saw thrones with people sitting on them, who were given authority to judge, and I saw the souls of those who were beheaded for the truth about Jesus and the word of God. They did not worship either the beast or its image and did not accept its image either on their foreheads or on their hands. They were reborn and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended. This is the first resurrection of the dead.
6 Blessed and holy is he who participates in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests of God and Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
7 Then, at the end of the thousand years, Satan will come out of prison
8 And he will go to deceive the nations scattered over the earth, Gog and Magog, and bring them together for war. And there will be as many of them as there are sand on the seashore.
9 They crossed the earth and surrounded the camp of the people of God and the city beloved by God. But fire descended from heaven and devoured the satanic army.
10 And then Satan, who had deceived these people, was thrown into the lake of boiling sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will torment them day and night forever and ever.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it. Earth and sky disappeared without a trace in His presence.
12 And I saw that the dead, great and small, were standing before the throne. Several books have been opened; and another book was opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds written in books.
13 The sea delivered up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hell delivered up the dead that were with them, and each one was judged according to his deeds.
14 And Death and Hell were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And if whose name was not written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
1 And then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and earth had vanished, and the sea was no more.
2 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending from God out of heaven and adorned, like a newlywed woman dressed for her husband's sake.
4 He will dry the tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death. There will be no more sorrow, no more grief, no more pain, for all the old has disappeared."
5 And then He who sat on the throne said: "Look! I am creating everything anew!" And He said, "Write this down, for these words are true and true."
6 And He said to me then: “It is finished! I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I generously dispense water from the stream of life to those who are thirsty.
7 He who wins the victory will inherit all this. I will be his God, he will be my son.
8 Cowards, unbelievers, filthy, murderers, lechers, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars will find their lot in the fiery sulfur lake. This is the second death."
9 And then one of the seven angels came out, who had seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues, and said to me, "Come hither. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."
10 And with his spirit an angel carried me up to a steep high mountain and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem, descending from heaven from God.
11 The glory of God was in him. Its radiance was like the radiance of a precious stone, such as jasper, and transparent, like crystal.
12 Around it was a large high wall with twelve gates. There were twelve angels at the gate, and the names of the twelve families of Israel were inscribed on the gate.
13 There were three gates to the east, three to the north, three to the south, and three to the west.
14 The walls of the city were built on twelve stone foundations, on which were inscribed the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who spoke to me had a golden measuring stick to measure the city, its gates and its walls.
16 The city was built in the form of a quadrangle, its width was equal to its length. He measured the city with a staff, and the measure was 12,000 stadia. Its length, width and height were the same.
17 Then the angel measured the walls, and their height was found to be 144 cubits according to the measure of a man, and the angel measured by it.
18 The walls were built of jasper, but the city itself was made of pure gold, like transparent glass.
19 The foundations of the walls were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first with jasper,
20 the second is sapphire, the third is chalcedony, the fourth is emerald, the fifth is sardonyx, the sixth is carnelian, the seventh is chrysolite, the eighth is beryl, the ninth is topaz, the tenth is chrysoprase, the eleventh is hyacinth, the twelfth is amethyst.
21 The gates themselves were of pearls, one pearl for each gate. The streets of the city were paved with pure gold, like transparent glass.
22 I did not see a temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God Almighty and His Lamb.
23 And the city needs neither the sun nor the moon, for the splendor of God illuminates it, and the Lamb is its lamp.
24 The nations of the world will walk in this light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory to this city.
25 Its gates will never be closed during the day, but there will be no night.
26 And they will bring there the glory and honor of the nations.
27 Nothing unclean will enter it, and none of those who do shameful things or lie, only those whose names are written in the book of life.
1 And then the angel showed me a river of life-giving water, clear as crystal, which flowed from the throne of God and from the Lamb
2 and flowed through the streets of the city. Trees of life grew on both sides of the river. They bear twelve harvests a year, each bearing fruit once a month, and the leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations.
3 There will be nothing that displeases God, and there will be the throne of God and the Lamb, His servants will worship Him.
4 And they will see his face, and the name of God will be on their foreheads.
5 And there will be no more night, and they will not need a lamp or sunlight, for the Lord God will shine on them, and they will rule forever and ever, like kings.
6 And the angel said to me: "True and true are these words, and the Lord God, who gave the prophets the spirit of prophecy, sent his angel to show his servants what would soon take place.
7 Remember, I will come very soon. Blessed is he who obeys the prophetic words written in this book."
8 I, John, heard and saw all this. And when I heard and saw, I bowed down at the feet of the angel, who showed me this as a sign of worship to him.
9 But he said to me, "Don't do that. I'm just as much a servant as you and your fellow prophets, those who obey the words written in this book. Worship God."
10 And he said to me again: “Do not keep secret the prophetic words written in this book, for the time is near when all this will be done.
11 Let those who have done evil continue to do so, let the unclean remain unclean. May those who do righteousness continue to do so. May those who are holy remain holy.
12 Listen! I'll be back soon and bring the reward with me! I will render to each according to his deeds.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
14 Blessed are those who wash their clothes. They will have the right to eat from the tree of life, pass through the gate and enter the city.
15 Dogs, and with them sorcerers, lechers, murderers, idolaters, and all who love lies and indulge in her, remain outside.
16 I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify all these things before the churches. I am a descendant of the line of David, a bright morning star."
17 And the Spirit and His bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say: "Come!". And let the one who is thirsty come. Anyone who wants can receive life-giving water as a gift.
18 And I testify before all who hear the prophetic words of this book: if anyone adds anything to these words, then God will send on him all the disasters described in this book.
19 And if anyone omits any of the prophetic words of this book, God will deprive him of his share in the tree of life and in the holy city described in this book.
20 He who testifies of all this says, "Yes, I will appear soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all.
Enmity arose from all sides against those who were sent by the Savior to conquer the world. They were followed everywhere. Many of them paid with their lives for their victory. Among them were: the holy protomartyr Archdeacon Stephen, the holy apostle James, brother of the Lord, the holy apostle and evangelist Mark; The Apostle Paul was sent to Rome in chains. The same fate befell the apostle Peter.A terrible storm broke out over the ship of the Church: the paganism of Rome raged against the gospel that denounced and condemned it. Nero's bloody orgy was the first persecution of Christians in Rome. Instead of torches, the imperial garden was lit up by the burning bodies of the martyrs, tied to poles and covered with resin. Paul was beheaded, Peter was crucified upside down.
One by one the other apostles died confessing Christ. The apostolic age was drawing to a close.
But Divine vengeance has already decided to strike with the first great and menacing blow the first persecutors of the faith of Christ for their outrageous crimes: an insane rebellion arises in Jerusalem, as a result of which the city is turned into ashes, only smoking ruins remain of the temple itself. During the reigns of Vespasian and Titus, the Church enjoys a relative, precarious calm, but this is only a short rest. Under Domitian, the fierce hatred of paganism against the faith of Christ breaks out with renewed vigor. Of the apostles, only one survived to this time; it was John the Theologian, the beloved disciple of the Lord, who had great influence on the affairs of the Church. Establishing Christianity in the city of Ephesus he had chosen, John at the same time took care of the establishment in the faith of the neighboring Churches: Pergamon, Smyrna, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, which are mentioned in Revelation.
During the new persecution, John arrived in Rome, where the blood of the martyrs was then shed in torrents. Imprisoned at first, like the Apostle Paul, in prison, then, by order of Domitian, he was thrown into a cauldron of boiling pitch; but just as before, neither severe beatings crushed the confessor of the faith, nor poisonous drink poisoned him, so now, cast into boiling tar, he remained unharmed. He was apparently preserved by a miraculous power from above.
"Great is the Christian God!" - exclaimed the people struck by these wonderful signs. And Domitian himself, struck by the power incomprehensible to him, guarding the martyr, did not dare to continue torturing him and condemned John only to imprisonment on the island of Patmos, one of the islands of the archipelago on the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Asia Minor.
It was here, in the solitary contemplation of the majestic spectacle of the boundless sky and sea, in unceasing fiery prayer to the Creator of the world, that the most sublime thoughts were aroused in the soul of the beloved disciple of Christ, who once reclined on the Savior’s chest, which not for the first time lifted his soul with an eagle’s flight to the unattainable sky, directed his spiritual gaze to the very Sun of truth, inaccessible to the sight of weak mortals. And in one of the outbursts of divine inspiration, which subsequently inspired him to draw the Gospel of God the Word, the apostle John also wrote that “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must be soon.”
Vision of the Apostle John on Patmos
“And He showed it by sending it through His Angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, and what he saw.
Blessed is he who reads and hears the words of this prophecy, and keeps what is written in it…” (Rev. 1:1-3)
So, the Apocalypse is the Revelation of Jesus Christ and a prophetic scripture addressing the seven Churches located in Asia. This is how the chosen evangelist of God, the holy Apostle John, speaks about him: “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, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead. and ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins with His Blood and made us kings and priests to His God and Father, glory and dominion forever and ever, amen. Behold, he is coming with clouds, and every eye shall see him, even those that pierced him; and all the families of the earth will mourn before him. Hey, amen.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord, who is and was and is to come, the Almighty.
I, John, your brother and partner in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island called Patmos, for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the spirit on Sunday, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet, which said: I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last; write what you see in a book and send it to the churches that are in Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.
He held in His right hand seven stars, and out of His mouth came out a sword sharp on both sides; and His face is like the sun shining in its power.
And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if dead. And He laid His right hand on me and said to me, Fear not; I am the First and the Last and the living; and was dead, and behold, alive forever and ever, amen; and I have the keys of hell and death.
So write down what you have seen, and what is, and what will be after this. This is the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in My right hand, and of the seven golden candlesticks: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches; and the seven lampstands that you saw are the seven churches.” (Rev. 1:4-20)
