1This 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,
2who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
3Blessed 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.
4John, 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,
5and 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,
6who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
7Behold, 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“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.
9I, 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.
10On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
11saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,
13and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest.
14The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire.
15His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.
16He 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.
17When 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,
18the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.
19Therefore write down the things you have seen, the things that are, and the things that will happen after this.
20This 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.
Revelation 1 Verse Notes
Rev 1:1
Book of Revelation does not mention the rapture
The Book of Revelation, often associated with end-times prophecies, does not contain any mention of the rapture. While it describes a period of destruction and judgment on Earth, it does not suggest that followers of Jesus will be removed from the world before these events occur.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Is the Rapture Really in the Bible��or Was It Invented Later? · watch the clip
New Testament Views on Political Authority
Passages like Matthew 22:21 ('Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's') and Romans 13:1-3 (exhorting obedience to governing authorities) are original to their respective New Testament documents. These reflect a view within early Christianity that believers should obey political authority, often to avoid persecution for law-breaking rather than for faith. This stance coexists with other New Testament texts, such as Acts 5:29 ('We must obey God rather than human beings') and Revelation, which express opposition to Roman authority, indicating a tension and variety of views within early Christianity.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Should We Think Mark Was the First Gospel? · watch the clip
Ezekiel as a Precursor to Apocalyptic Literature
While not strictly an apocalyptic text, the Book of Ezekiel contains visions and high-level symbolism that later apocalyptic writers, including the author of Revelation, drew upon. Ezekiel differs from true apocalyptic texts by emphasizing God's sovereignty and punishment of Israel, rather than a cosmic battle between good and evil forces, which is more characteristic of Daniel.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Jesus Even Exist? · watch the clip
Christ as a Divine Warrior in Revelation
The Book of Revelation presents Jesus as a powerful, divine warrior from its beginning to its end. The initial vision in Revelation 1 depicts Christ in royal attire with a sword emanating from his mouth, symbolizing his role in future destruction. This imagery aligns with the 'Son of Man' figure in Daniel 7, who is a divine judge destined to destroy God's enemies and establish a kingdom. The book concludes with Christ leading heavenly armies to slaughter his adversaries at Armageddon, reinforcing his central role in a war against the Earth.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Is the Christ of Revelation Out for Blood? · watch the clip
Rev 1:4
Revelation is not an epistle, but it contains epistles
Méndez previews Revelation, counted as an apocalypse rather than a Catholic epistle, and points out that a few verses in, it speaks in letter form, John to the seven churches in Asia, and that it embeds seven letters presented as messages from Jesus to churches in Asia Minor. Revelation is not an epistle, he says, but it contains epistles, and he asks students to think about how this last book connects to the letters they have studied, much as Hebrews blurs the line between the Catholic and Deutero-Pauline epistles.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 25: The Other Apostles Speak | The Letters of Peter · watch the clip
Rev 1:5
Christ freed vs. washed us from sins
In Revelation 1:5, some manuscripts state that Christ "freed us from our sins," while others, using a very similar-sounding Greek word, say he "washed us from our sins." This difference, possibly due to scribes mishearing during dictation, alters the nuance of Christ's salvific action.
Summarized by AI · The Bible and the Quran: Comparing Their Historical Problems · Lecture 1: The New Testament | Do We Have the Original Text? · watch the clip
Rev 1:8
Revelation's support for Christ's equality with God
During the 4th-century Arian controversy, which debated Christ's divine status, Revelation became useful for supporting the orthodox view. The book states that both God and Christ are the 'Alpha and the Omega,' the beginning and the end. This implied their equality, countering Arius's argument that Christ was subordinate to God, and thus helped solidify Revelation's place in the canon.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why is the Book of Revelation in the Bible? · watch the clip
Rev 1:9
Revelation's Context: Persecution and Imperial Cult
Revelation assumes Christians are experiencing religious intolerance, with the author, John, identifying himself as sharing in persecution. The text mentions a martyr named Antipas and predicts imprisonment for some, suggesting a backdrop of harassment. This pressure likely stemmed from the expectation for Christians to participate in the Roman imperial cult, which was prevalent in Asia Minor.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 26: Visions of the End | Decoding Revelation · watch the clip
Rev 1:10
Shift to Sunday Worship
Early Jewish followers of Jesus likely continued to participate in synagogues, possibly observing both Saturday Sabbath and Sunday gatherings. Paul's letters indicate that Christians were gathering on the first day of the week (Sunday) for collections. The Book of Revelation refers to Sunday as 'the Lord's day.' This shift to Sunday worship is sensible, as it commemorates Jesus's resurrection, which tradition places on the third day after his crucifixion, a Sunday.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Pontius Pilate in a Different Light: A Little Known Apocryphal Gospel · watch the clip
Rev 1:13
Jesus as a Vengeful Divine Warrior in Revelation
In Revelation, Jesus is depicted through various images, including the glorious resurrected Son of Man, a slain Lamb, and a Divine Warrior on horseback. The overarching portrayal is of Christ returning in vengeance to make his enemies pay for his death. This Lamb, who was slain, is the one who orchestrates calamities, plagues, wars, famines, and slaughter upon the Earth.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Does John of Patmos Accept the Gospel of Jesus? · watch the clip
