1 This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. God gave it to him to show his servants the things that must happen soon. He sent this revelation through his angel to his servant John. 2 John testified about what he saw: God's word and the testimony about Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads, as well as those who hear the words of this prophecy and pay attention to what is written in it because the time is near.

4 From John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Good will and peace to you from the one who is, the one who was, and the one who is coming, from the seven spirits who are in front of his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the witness, the trustworthy one, the first to come back to life, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. Glory and power forever and ever belong to the one who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and has made us a kingdom, priests for God his Father. Amen. 7 Look! He is coming in the clouds. Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. Every tribe on earth will mourn because of him. This is true. Amen.

8 "I am the A and the Z," says the Lord God, the one who is, the one who was, and the one who is coming, the Almighty.

9 I am John, your brother. I share your suffering, ruling, and endurance because of Jesus. I was [exiled] on the island of Patmos because of God's word and the testimony about Jesus. 10 I came under the Spirit's power on the Lord's day. I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet, 11 saying, "Write on a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."

12 I turned toward the voice which was talking to me, and when I turned, I saw seven gold lamp stands. 13 There was someone like the Son of Man among the lamp stands. He was wearing a robe that reached his feet. He wore a gold belt around his waist. 14 His head and his hair were white like wool-like snow. His eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like glowing bronze refined in a furnace. His voice was like the sound of raging waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword. His face was like the sun when it shines in all its brightness.

17 When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. Then he laid his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the first and the last, 18 the living one. I was dead, but now I am alive forever. I have the keys of death and hell. 19 Therefore, write down what you have seen, what is, and what is going to happen after these things. 20 The hidden meaning of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lamp stands is this: The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands are the seven churches.