Prologue (Daniel 12:1–13)
1 UST { This book is about} things that God revealed to Jesus the Messiah. These things are just about to happen. God revealed them to Jesus so that he could tell the people who believe in him about them. Jesus shared these things by sending his angel{ to show them} to{ me,} John, a man who serves him faithfully. BSB BSB: This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John,
2 UST I, John, am reporting{ to you} everything that I saw concerning this message from God that Jesus the Messiah revealed to me. BSB BSB: who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
3 UST How happy is the person who reads this book of prophecy{ for others to hear}, and how happy are all who hear it and obey what this prophecy says, because these events will happen soon. BSB BSB: Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.
John Greets the Seven Churches 4 UST I, John, am writing this letter to you seven groups of believers in the province of Asia. May God continue to be kind to you and make you peaceful. God exists, he has always existed, and he will come{ and judge everyone} in the future. May the seven spirits who are in front of the throne of God also continue to be kind to you and make you peaceful. BSB BSB: John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne,
5 UST May Jesus the Messiah also continue to be kind to you and make you peaceful. He has reliably told us the message from God. He is the first one whom God caused to become alive again after he had died. He is the one who rules the kings of the world. Because he loves us, he shed his blood for us when he died on the cross, and as a result, God has forgiven our sins. BSB BSB: and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood,
6 UST Jesus is the one who has caused us to become people over whose lives God rules. He has also made us priests who serve God, who is the Father of Jesus. May people glorify Jesus and acknowledge him as their ruler throughout eternity. May it be so! BSB BSB: who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
7 UST Pay attention! Jesus is going to come back from heaven through the sky. Everyone will see him, including those who killed him by nailing him to a cross. When they see him coming, every people group in the world will grieve{ in sorrow for their sins}. May it be just like that! BSB BSB: Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.
8 UST The Lord God says:“I am the one who began all things. I am the one who will cause all things to come to an end. I am the one who exists, who has always existed, and who will come{ and judge everyone} in the future. I am the one who rules over everything and everyone.” BSB BSB: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.
John’s Vision on Patmos 9 UST I, John, believe in Jesus as you do. Like you, I am patiently enduring the troubles that everyone experiences whose life Jesus rules.{ The Roman government had put} me{ in exile} on the island of Patmos because I was telling people God’ s message about who Jesus is. BSB BSB: I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus.
10 UST It was a Sunday, the day{ on which believers gather to worship because God made Jesus alive again on that day}. The Holy Spirit inspired me so that I could see and hear things in a vision. I heard someone speaking behind me. His voice was as loud as the blast of a horn. BSB BSB: On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
11 UST { The person speaking} said{ to me},“Write what you see on a scroll. Send what you have written to seven groups of believers.{ Send it to the believers} in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” BSB BSB: saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
12 UST { When I heard this voice,} I turned my head to see who was speaking to me. When I turned, I saw seven golden lamp holders. BSB BSB: Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 UST In the midst of the lamp holders I saw someone who looked like a human being. He wore a robe that reached down to his feet. He also wore a band of golden fabric across his chest. BSB BSB: and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest.
14 UST The hair on his head was gleaming like white wool or like white snow. His eyes were{ bright} like a fiery flame. BSB BSB: The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire.
15 UST His feet shone like bronze that the heat of a furnace had refined.{ When he spoke,} his resonant voice was like the noise of a great river of rushing water. BSB BSB: His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.
16 UST { The one who looked like a human} was holding seven stars in his right hand. A sword with two sharp edges was extending from his mouth. His face shone as brightly as the sun shines during the middle of the day. BSB BSB: He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.
17 UST When I saw him, I bowed down in front of him. I was so overcome that I could not move. But he put his right hand on me and said to me,“Do not be afraid! I am the one who began all things, and I am the one who will cause all things to end. BSB BSB: When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,
18 UST I have been alive forever. When I came to earth, I died, but indeed I am now alive again for all eternity. I have the power to make anyone who has died become alive again. BSB BSB: the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.
19 UST Therefore, write down this vision that you are seeing of me. I will reveal the truth to you about what is happening now and about what will happen in the future. I want you to write down those things as well. BSB BSB: Therefore write down the things you have seen, the things that are, and the things that will happen after this.
20 UST I will explain the symbolic meaning of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lamp holders. The seven stars represent the angels of the seven groups of believers. The seven lamp holders represent the seven groups of believers. BSB BSB: This is the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and of the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.