Revelation 1:11

Vision of the Son of Man

9 I, John,¹ both your brother and ^acompanion in the tribulation and ^bkingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

10 ^aI was in the Spirit on ^bthe Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me ^ca loud voice, as of a trumpet,

11 saying,¹ “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches² which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned ^aI saw seven golden lampstands,

13 ^aand in the midst of the seven lampstands ^bOne like the Son of Man, ^cclothed with a garment down to the feet and ^dgirded about the chest with a golden band.

14 His head and ^ahair were white like wool, as white as snow, and ^bHis eyes like a flame of fire;

15 ^aHis feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and ^bHis voice as the sound of many waters;

16 ^aHe had in His right hand seven stars, ^bout of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, ^cand His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

17 And ^awhen I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But ^bHe laid His right hand on me, saying¹ to me, “Do not be afraid; ^cI am the First and the Last.

18 ^aI am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, ^bI am alive forevermore. Amen. And ^cI have the keys of Hades and of Death.

19 Write the things which you have ^aseen, ^band the things which are, ^cand the things which will take place after this.

20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are ^athe angels of the seven churches, and ^bthe seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

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Revelation 1:11

Saying - That is, literally, "the trumpet saying." It was, however, manifestly the voice that addressed these words to John, though they seemed to come through a trumpet, and hence the trumpet is represented as uttering them.

I am Alpha and Omega - Revelation 1:8.

The first and the last - An explanation of the terms Alpha and Omega. See the notes on Revelation 1:8.

And, What thou seest - The voice, in addition to the declaration, "I am Alpha and Omega," gave this direction that he should record what he saw. The phrase, "what thou seest," refers to what would pass before him in vision, what he there saw, and what he would see in the extraordinary manifestations which were to be made to him.

Write in a book - Make a fair record of it all; evidently meaning that he should describe things as they occurred, and implying that the vision would be held so long before the eye of his mind that he would be able to transfer it to the "book." The fair and obvious interpretation of this is, that he was to make the record in the island of Patmos, and then send it to the churches. Though Patmos was a lonely and barren place, and though probably here were few or no inhabitants there, yet there is no improbability in supposing that John could have found writing materials there, nor even that he may have been permitted to take such materials with him. He seems to have been banished for "preaching," not for "writing" ; and there is no evidence that the materials for writing would be withheld from him. John Bunyan, in Bedford jail, found materials for writing the "Pilgrim' s Progress," and there is no evidence that the apostle John was denied the means of recording his thoughts when in the island of Patmos. The word "book" here ( ́ biblion ), would more properly mean a roll or scroll, that being the form in which books were anciently made. See the notes on Luke 4:17.

And send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia - The churches which are immediately designated, not implying that there were no other churches in Asia, but that there were particular reasons for sending it to these. He was to send all that he should "see" ; to wit, all that is recorded in this volume or book of "Revelation." Part of this Rev. 2; Rev. 3 would pertain particularly to them; the remainder Rev. 4-22 would pertain to them no more than to others, but still they would have the common interest in it which all the church would have, and, in their circumstances of trial, there might be important reasons why they should see the assurance that the church would ultimately triumph over all its enemies. They were to derive from it themselves the consolation which it was suited to impart in time of trial, and to transmit it to future times, for the welfare of the church at large.

Unto Ephesus - Perhaps mentioned first as being the capital of that portion of Asia Minor; the most important city of the seven; the place where John had preached, and whence he had been banished. For a particular description of these seven churches, see the notes on the epistles addressed to them in Rev. 2-3.

Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Revelation 1:11:

Isaiah 9:6
Isaiah 43:10
Acts 3:13
Hebrews 1:3
Hebrews 12:2
Revelation 1:8
Revelation 1:19
Revelation 3:11
Revelation 5:1
Revelation 10:2
Revelation 13:18
Revelation 21:6
Revelation 22:13
Revelation 22:16

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Revelation 1:12 >>

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Vision of the Son of Man

A Verse and a Thought,Every Morning

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