Revelation
Chapter 1
Verses 1-3 Read the Bible verses.
An angel came to John and showed him a vision about things in the future.
The angel said, “Blessed are those who read and hear these words and give attention (heed) these things that are written. The time is near.”
Verses 4-6 Read the Bible verses.
John writes to the seven churches that are in Asia Minor. Today that is Turkey.
“Grace be to you from the Eternal One–He who was, is, and is to come. And from the 7 spirits who are before His throne.”
He said about Jesus:
The faith witness
The first-born of the dead (the first to resurrect)
Ruler of the kings of the earth
Who loves us
Who released (freed) us from our sins by His blood
Who has made us to be a kingdom
Who made us to be priests to His God and Father
To him be glory, and dominion (ruling power) forever.
Verse 7 Read the Bible verse.
He is coming in the clouds
Every eye shall see him–even those who pierced (cut) him ( the Jews)
All the tribes (people groups) of the earth will mourn.
Those who pierced him will mourn. The Jews are the ones who took Jesus and had him pierced and crucified.
What will the Jews think when this same Jesus appears in a cloud and comes to earth to rule as a king?
This person whom they crucified more than 2000 years ago. This person whom they said was not God.
The tribes of the earth, all those people who do not believe in the God in heaven and his son, Jesus, will mourn when they see him come because when they see him, he will be judging them for their sins.
Every eye will see him come.
Nowadays when most of the world has TV, the news is seen by satellite. People around the world can see a thing as it happens.
This could be a way that it could happen.
Also, it could be that the skies will be so bright that it will show all over the sky even to those who are having nighttime–they will all be able to see his coming.
Verse 8 Read the Bible verse.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.
The words alpha and omega are Greek words for the first and last letters in their alphabet.
Verses 9-11 Read the Bible verses.
John explains where he is when he has this vision. He has been taken as a prisoner by the Romans, probably for preaching or talking about Jesus.
Prisoners were sometimes sent to an island called the Isle of Patmos. It was a tiny island off of the coast of Turkey. There were mines and stone quarries there. The prisoners worked and life was hard. Some people who study history say that he was on the island for about 18 months.
It was the Lord’s day, or the Sabbath. For a Jewish person, that would be from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday.
John said that he was in the spirit. He was in prayer and he felt the Spirit of the Lord came down upon him. He heard a loud voice.
It sounded like a trumpet.
The voice told him to write down what he heard and saw and then he is to send it to the 7 churches that are in Asia Minor–Turkey.
Verses 12-16 Read the Bible verses.
John saw 7 golden lamp stands.
The 7 lamp stands represent the 7 churches in Turkey.
In the middle of the lamp stands, he saw a person. The person was dressed in a long robe–a sash (cloth belt) was across his chest and a he had a golden wide belt around his middle.
His head and hair were white like wool or snow. His eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like shining bronze when it is hot.
His voice sounded like the roar of fast moving waters.
In his right hand he held 7 stars.
Out of his mouth came a two-edged sword.
His face was like the shining sun.
Verses 17-20 Read the Bible verses.
When John saw him, he fell down like he was dead.
This shining person put his hand on John and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last.”
The only person who is called “the first and the last” is Jesus.
He said, “I am the Living One, I was dead but now I am alive forever. I have the keys of death and Hades (hell).”
The only person who can say this is Jesus.
Jesus said to write the things that he saw.
Jesus said that the 7 stars are the 7 angels of the 7 churches. And the 7 lamp stands are the 7 churches.