(KJV) Revelation 112

<< Jude 1 Revelation 2 >>

⥃Prologue [ Daniel 12:1–13 ]

[1] The Revelation3 of Jesus Christ, which God4 gave unto him, to shew5 unto his servants things which must6 shortly come to pass; and he7 sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John8: [2] Who bare9 record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all10 things that he saw. [3] Blessed11 [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for12 the time [is] at hand.

⥃John Greets the Seven Churches

[4] John13 to the14 seven churches which are in Asia: Grace15 [be] unto you, and peace, from him16 which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the17 seven Spirits which are before his throne; [5] And from Jesus Christ, [who is18] the faithful witness, [and] the first19 begotten of the dead, and the prince20 of the kings of the earth. Unto him21 that loved us, and washed22 us from our sins in his own blood, [6] And hath made23 us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him24 [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. [7] Behold, he cometh25 with clouds; and every26 eye shall see him, and they27 [also] which pierced him: and all28 kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so29, Amen. [8] I am Alpha30 and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is31, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty32.

⥃John’s Vision on Patmos

[9] I John33, who also am your brother, and companion34 in tribulation, and in the35 kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word36 of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. [10] I was in37 the Spirit on the38 Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as39 of a trumpet, [11] Saying, I am40 Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What41 thou seest, write in a book, and send [it] unto the seven42 churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus43, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea44. [12] And I turned to see45 the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw46 seven golden candlesticks; [13] And in the midst of the seven candlesticks [one] like47 unto the Son of man, clothed48 with a garment down to the foot, and girt49 about the paps with a golden girdle. [14] His head and [his] hairs50 [were] white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes51 [were] as a flame of fire; [15] And his feet52 like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice53 as the sound of many waters. [16] And he had54 in his right hand seven stars: and out55 of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his56 countenance [was] as the sun shineth in his strength. [17] And when I saw him, I fell57 at his feet as dead. And he58 laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not59; I am60 the first and the last: [18] [I am] he that liveth61, and was62 dead; and, behold, I am alive63 for evermore, Amen; and have the keys64 of hell and of death. [19] Write the things65 which thou hast seen, and the things which are66, and the things which shall be67 hereafter; [20] The mystery68 of the seven stars69 which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden70 candlesticks. The seven stars71 are the angels of the seven churches: and the72 seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

<< Jude 1 Revelation 2 >>

  1. The obscurity of this prophecy, which has been urged against its genuineness, necessarily results from the highly figurative and symbolical language in which it is delivered, and is, in fact, a strong internal proof of its authenticity and divine original. “For it is a part of this prophecy,” as Sir Isaac Newton justly remarks, “that it should not be understood before the last age of the world; and therefore it makes for the credit of the prophecy that it is not yet understood. The folly of interpreters has been to foretell times and things by this prophecy, as if God designed to make them prophets. By this rashness they have not only exposed themselves, but brought the prophecy also into contempt. The design of God was much otherwise. He gave this, and the prophecies of the Old Testament, not to gratify men’s curiosities by enabling them to foreknow things, but that, after that they were fulfilled, they might be interpreted by the event; and his own providence, not the interpreter’s, be then manifested thereby to the world. For the event of things, predicted many ages before, will then be a convincing argument that the world is governed by Providence. For, as the few and obscure prophecies concerning Christ’s first coming were for setting up the Christian religion, which all nations have since corrupted, so the many and clear prophecies concerning the things to be done at Christ’s second coming, are not only for predicting, but also for effecting a recovery and re-establishment of the long-lost truth, and setting up a kingdom wherein dwells righteousness. The event will prove the Apocalypse; and this prophecy, thus proved and understood, will open the old prophets; and all together will make known the true religion, and establish it. There is already so much of the prophecy fulfilled, that as many as will take pains in this study may see sufficient instances of God’s promise; but then, the signal revolutions predicted by all the holy prophets, will at once both turn men’s eyes upon considering the predictions, and plainly interpret them. Till then we must content ourselves with interpreting what hath already been fulfilled.” And, as Mr. Weston observes, “if we were in possession of a complete and particular history of Asia, not only of great events, without person or place, names or dates, but of the exactest biography, geography, topography, and chronology, we might, perhaps, still be able to explain and appropriate more circumstances recorded in the Revelation, under the emperors of the East and the West, and in Arabia, Persia, Tartary, and Asia, the seat of the most important revolutions with which the history of Christianity has ever been interwoven and closely connected.” History is the great interpreter of prophecy. “Prophecy is, as I may say,” observes Bp. Newton, “history anticipated and contracted; history is prophecy accomplished and dilated; and the prophecies of Scripture contain the fate of the most considerable nations, and the substance of the most memorable transactions in the world, from the earliest to the latest times. Daniel and St. John, with regard to those latter times, are more copious and particular than the other prophets. They exhibit a series and succession of the most important events from the first of the four great empires to the consummation of all things. Their prophecies may really be said to be a summary of the history of the world; and the history of the world is the best comment upon their prophecies....and the more you know of ancient and modern times, and the farther you search into the truth of history, the more you will be satisfied of the truth of prophecy.” The Revelation was designed to supply the place of that continued succession of prophets, which demonstrated the continued providence of God to the patriarchal and Jewish churches. “The majority of commentators on the Apocalypse,” says Mr. Townsend, “generally acted on these principles of interpretation. They discover in this Book certain predictions of events which were fulfilled soon after they were announced; they trace in the history of later years various coincidences, which so fully agree with the various parts of the Apocalypse, that they are justly entitled to consider them as the fulfilment of its prophecies; and, by thus tracing the one God of revelation through the clouds of the dark ages, through the storms of revolutions and wars, through the mighty convulsions which at various periods have agitated the world, their interpretations, even when they are most contradictory, when they venture to speculate concerning the future, are founded on so much undoubted truth that they have materially confirmed the wavering faith of thousands. Clouds and darkness must cover the brightness of the throne of God, till it shall please him to enable us to bear the brighter beams of his glory. In the mean time, we trace his footsteps in the sea of the Gentile world, his path in the mighty waters of the ambitions and clashing passions of man. We rejoice to anticipate the day when the bondage of Rome, which would perpetuate the intellectual and spiritual slavery of man, shall be overthrown, and day-spring of united knowledge and holiness bless the world.” ↩

  2. Rev 1:1, The preface; Rev 1:4, John’s salutation to the seven churches of Asia; Rev 1:7, The coming of Christ; Rev 1:8, His glorious power and majesty. ↩

  3. Dan 2:28-29; Amos 3:7; Rom 16:25; Gal 1:12; Eph 3:3 ↩

  4. John 3:32, John 8:26, John 12:49 ↩

  5. Rev 22:6; Ps 25:14; John 15:15 ↩

  6. Rev 1:3, Rev 1:19, Rev 4:1, Rev 22:10, 2Pet 3:8 ↩

  7. Rev 22:6, Rev 22:16; Dan 8:16, Dan 9:21, Dan 9:23 ↩

  8. Rev 1:4, Rev 1:9, Rev 21:2 ↩

  9. Rev 1:9, Rev 6:9, Rev 12:11, Rev 12:17; John 1:32, John 12:17, John 19:35, John 21:24; 1Cor 1:6, 1Cor 2:1; 1John 5:7-11; 3John 1:12 ↩

  10. Rev 1:19; John 3:11; Acts 4:20, Acts 22:15, Acts 26:16; 1John 1:1, 1John 4:14 ↩

  11. Rev 22:7; Prov 8:34; Dan 12:12-13; Luke 11:28 ↩

  12. Rev 22:6, Rev 22:10, Rev 22:12, Rev 22:20; Rom 13:11; Jas 5:8-9; 1Pet 4:7; 2Pet 3:8 ↩

  13. Rev 1:1 ↩

  14. Rev 1:11, Rev 1:20, Rev 2:1, Rev 2:8, Rev 2:12, Rev 2:18, Rev 3:1, Rev 3:7, Rev 3:14; Acts 19:10; 1Pet 1:1 ↩

  15. Rom 1:7; 1Cor 1:3; 2Cor 1:2; 1Pet 1:2 ↩

  16. Rev 1:8; Exod 3:14; Ps 90:2, Ps 102:25-27; Isa 41:4, Isa 57:15; Mic 5:2; John 1:1; Heb 1:10-13, Heb 13:8; Jas 1:17 ↩

  17. Rev 3:1, Rev 4:5, Rev 5:6; Zech 3:9, Zech 4:10, Zech 6:5; 1Cor 12:4-13 ↩

  18. Rev 3:14; Ps 89:36-37; Isa 55:4; John 3:11, John 3:32, John 8:14-16, John 18:37; 1Tim 6:13; 1John 5:7-10 ↩

  19. Acts 26:23; 1Cor 15:20-23; Col 1:18 ↩

  20. Rev 11:15, Rev 17:14, Rev 19:16; Ps 72:11, Ps 89:27; Prov 8:15-16; Dan 2:2, Dan 7:14; Matt 28:18; Eph 1:20-22; 1Tim 6:15 ↩

  21. Deut 7:8, Deut 23:5; John 13:1, John 13:34, John 15:9; Rom 8:37; Gal 2:20; Eph 2:4, Eph 5:2, Eph 5:25-27; 1John 4:10 ↩

  22. Rev 7:14; Zech 13:1; John 13:8-10; Acts 20:28; 1Cor 6:11; Heb 9:14; 1Pet 1:19; 1John 1:7 ↩

  23. Rev 5:10, Rev 20:6; Exod 19:6; Isa 61:6; Rom 12:1; 1Pet 2:5-9 ↩

  24. Rev 4:11, Rev 5:12-14; Ps 72:18-19; Dan 4:34; Matt 6:13; John 5:23; Phil 2:11; 1Tim 6:16; Heb 13:21; 1Pet 4:11, 1Pet 5:11; 2Pet 3:18; Jude 1:25 ↩

  25. Rev 14:14-16; Ps 97:2; Isa 19:1; Dan 7:13; Nah 1:3; Matt 24:30, Matt 26:64; Mark 13:26, Mark 14:62; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:9-11; 1Thess 4:17 ↩

  26. Rev 22:4; Num 24:17; Job 19:26-27, Job 33:26; 1Thess 1:10; 1John 3:2; Jude 1:14 ↩

  27. Ps 22:16; Zech 12:10; John 19:34, John 19:37; Heb 6:6, Heb 10:29 ↩

  28. Rev 6:15-17, Rev 18:15-19; Matt 24:30; Luke 23:28-30 ↩

  29. Rev 18:20, Rev 19:1-3, Rev 22:20; Judg 5:31; Ps 68:1 ↩

  30. Rev 1:11, Rev 1:17, Rev 2:8, Rev 21:6, Rev 22:13; Isa 41:4, Isa 43:10, Isa 44:6, Isa 48:12 ↩

  31. Rev 1:4 ↩

  32. Rev 4:8, Rev 11:17, Rev 16:14, Rev 19:15, Rev 21:22; Gen 17:1, Gen 28:3, Gen 35:11, Gen 43:14, Gen 48:3; Gen 49:25; Exod 6:3; Num 24:4; Isa 9:6; 2Cor 6:18 ↩

  33. Rev 1:4 ↩

  34. Rev 2:9-10, Rev 7:14; John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Rom 8:17; 1Cor 4:9-13; Phil 1:7, Phil 4:14; 2Tim 1:8, 2Tim 2:3-12 ↩

  35. Rev 3:10, Rev 13:10, Rev 14:12; Rom 2:7-8, Rom 5:3-4, Rom 8:25; 2Thess 1:4-5, 2Thess 3:5; Heb 10:36; Jas 5:7-8 ↩

  36. Rev 1:2, Rev 6:9, Rev 11:7, Rev 12:11, Rev 12:17, Rev 19:10 ↩

  37. Rev 4:2, Rev 17:3, Rev 21:10; Matt 22:43; Acts 10:10-33; 2Cor 12:2-4 ↩

  38. John 20:19, John 20:26; Acts 20:7; 1Cor 16:2 ↩

  39. Rev 4:1, Rev 10:3-8 ↩

  40. Rev 1:8, Rev 1:17 ↩

  41. Rev 1:19, Rev 2:1, Rev 10:4, Rev 14:13, Rev 19:9, Rev 21:5; Deut 31:19; Isa 30:8; Jer 30:2; Hab 2:2 ↩

  42. Rev 1:4, Rev 2:1, Rev 2:8, Rev 2:12, Rev 2:18, Rev 3:1, Rev 3:7, Rev 3:14 ↩

  43. Acts 18:19-21, Acts 18:24, Acts 19:1-41, Acts 20:17; 1Cor 15:32, 1Cor 16:8; Eph 1:1; 1Tim 1:3 ↩

  44. Col 4:15-16 ↩

  45. Ezek 43:5-6; Mic 6:9 ↩

  46. Rev 1:13, Rev 1:20, Rev 2:1; Exod 25:37; Zech 4:2 ↩

  47. Rev 14:14; Ezek 1:26-28; Dan 7:9, Dan 7:13, Dan 10:5-6, Dan 10:16; Phil 2:7-8; Heb 2:14-17; Heb 4:15 ↩

  48. Dan 10:5 ↩

  49. Rev 15:6; Exod 28:6-8, Exod 39:5; Lev 8:7; Isa 11:5 ↩

  50. Dan 7:9; Matt 28:3 ↩

  51. Rev 2:18, Rev 19:12; Dan 10:6 ↩

  52. Rev 2:18; Ezek 1:7, Ezek 40:3; Dan 10:6 ↩

  53. Rev 14:2, Rev 19:6; Ps 93:4; Isa 17:13; Ezek 43:2 ↩

  54. Rev 1:20, Rev 2:1, Rev 3:1, Rev 12:1; Job 38:7; Dan 8:10, Dan 12:3 ↩

  55. Rev 2:12, Rev 2:16, Rev 19:15, Rev 19:21; Isa 11:4, Isa 49:2; Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12 ↩

  56. Rev 10:1; Isa 24:23, Isa 60:19-20; Mal 4:2; Acts 26:13 ↩

  57. Ezek 1:28; Dan 8:18, Dan 10:8-9, Dan 10:17-19; Hab 3:16; Matt 17:2-6; John 13:23; John 21:20 ↩

  58. Dan 8:18, Dan 10:10 ↩

  59. Gen 15:1; Exod 14:13, Exod 20:20; Isa 41:10; Dan 10:12; Matt 28:4; Mark 16:5-6; Luke 24:37-39 ↩

  60. Rev 1:8, Rev 1:11, Rev 2:8, Rev 22:13; Isa 41:4, Isa 44:6, Isa 48:12 ↩

  61. Job 19:25; Ps 18:46; John 14:19; Rom 6:9; 2Cor 13:4; Gal 2:20; Col 3:3; Heb 7:25 ↩

  62. Rom 14:8-9; 2Cor 5:14-15; Heb 1:3, Heb 12:2 ↩

  63. Rev 4:9, Rev 5:14; Heb 7:16, Heb 7:25 ↩

  64. Rev 3:7, Rev 9:1, Rev 20:1-2, Rev 20:14; Ps 68:20; Isa 22:22; Matt 16:19 ↩

  65. Rev 1:11, Rev 1:12-20 ↩

  66. Rev. 2:1-3:22 ↩

  67. Rev. 4:1-22:21 ↩

  68. Matt 13:11; Luke 8:10 ↩

  69. Rev 1:13, Rev 1:16 ↩

  70. Rev 1:12 ↩

  71. Rev 2:1, Rev 2:8, Rev 2:12, Rev 2:18, Rev 3:1, Rev 3:7, Rev 3:14; Mal 2:7 ↩

  72. Zech 4:2; Matt 5:15-16; Phil 2:15-16; 1Tim 3:14-16 ↩