1A revealing of Jesus, the Messiah. God gave it to make plain to his servants what is about to happen. He published and delivered it by Angel to his servant John.
2And John told everything he saw: God's Word—the witness of Jesus Christ!
3How blessed the reader! How blessed the hearers and keepers of these oracle words, all the words written in this book! Time is just about up.
4I, John, am writing this to the seven churches in Asia province: All the best to you from The God Who Is, The God Who Was, and The God About to Arrive, and from the Seven Spirits assembled before his throne,
5and from Jesus Christ—Loyal Witness, Firstborn from the dead, Ruler of all earthly kings. Glory and strength to Christ, who loves us, who blood-washed our sins from our lives,
6Who made us a Kingdom, Priests for his Father, forever—and yes, he's on his way!
7Riding the clouds, he'll be seen by every eye, those who mocked and killed him will see him, People from all nations and all times will tear their clothes in lament. Oh, Yes.
8The Master declares, "I'm A to Z. I'm The God Who Is, The God Who Was, and The God About to Arrive. I'm the Sovereign-Strong."
9I, John, with you all the way in the trial and the Kingdom and the passion of patience in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of God's Word, the witness of Jesus.
10It was Sunday and I was in the Spirit, praying. I heard a loud voice behind me, trumpet-clear and piercing:
11"Write what you see into a book. Send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea."
12I turned and saw the voice. I saw a gold menorah with seven branches,
13And in the center, the Son of Man, in a robe and gold breastplate,
14hair a blizzard of white, Eyes pouring fire-blaze,
15both feet furnace-fired bronze, His voice a cataract,
16right hand holding the Seven Stars, His mouth a sharp-biting sword, his face a perigee sun.
17I saw this and fainted dead at his feet. His right hand pulled me upright, his voice reassured me: "Don't fear: I am First, I am Last,
18I'm Alive. I died, but I came to life, and my life is now forever. See these keys in my hand? They open and lock Death's doors, they open and lock Hell's gates.
19Now write down everything you see: things that are, things about to be.
20The Seven Stars you saw in my right hand and the seven-branched gold menorah—do you want to know what's behind them? The Seven Stars are the Angels of the seven churches; the menorah's seven branches are the seven churches."