The Strand Study Bible

REVELATION 1:4  1:20

2141

Written From the Island of Patmos

Grace and peace from the Triune Godhead: GOD THE FATHER , GOD THE SON , and GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT 4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from 1 HIM 2 which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the 3 seven SPIRITS which are before 1 HIS throne; 5 And from JESUS CHRIST , WHO is the 4 FAITHFUL WITNESS , and the 5 FIRST BEGOTTEN of the dead, and the 6 PRINCE of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his 7 OWN blood, 6 And hath made us 8 kings and 9 priests unto GOD and his FATHER ; to 10 HIM be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, 11 HE cometh 12 with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced 13 HIM : and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. P 8 I am 14 ALPHAANDOMEGA , the 15 BE- GINNING AND THE ENDING , saith the Lord, 16 which is, andwhichwas, and 11 which is to come, the 17 ALMIGHTY . P 9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and 18 patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. “The things which thou hast seen” 10 I was in the Spirit on the 19 Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 Saying, I am 14 ALPHAANDOMEGA , the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos,

and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. The seven golden candlesticks (The seven churches) 12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; The SON OF MAN 13 20 And in the midst of the seven can- dlesticks one like unto the 21 SON OF MAN , clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14 22 HIS head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and 23 HIS eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; 24 and his voice as the sound of many waters. The seven stars (The pastors of the seven churches) 16 25 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of 26 HIS mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and 27 HIS countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at 27 HIS feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the 14 FIRST AND THE LAST : 18 28 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; 29 and have the 30 keys of hell and of death. The outline of Revelation 19 Write the 31 things which thou hast seen, and the 32 things which are, and the 33 things which shall be hereafter; 20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the sev- en golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven 34 candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

1. or, “God the Father” - Rev 4:3- 11 & 5:13 & 6:16 & 7:9-10 2. Rev 4:8 3. or, “perfect Spirit”- Isa 11:2 & Rev 4:5 4. Isa 55:4 5. I Cor 15:20,23 & Colo 1:15,18 6. Dan 8:25 & 9:25 7. Heb 9:11-14 8. Rev 20:4 9. II Chro 6:41 & Isa 61:6 & I Pet 2:5,9 & Rev 5:10 10. I Tim 6:16 & II Pet 3:18 & Jude 25 & Rev 5:12-13 11. Fulfilled - Rev 19:11-21 (Christ’s Second Coming) 12. Dan 7:13 & Mt 24:30 13. Zech 12:10-12 16. Rev 11:17 17. Exo 6:3 & Isa 9:6 18. or, “patient waiting for” 19. or, “Sunday” - Lk 24:1 20. Rev 2:1 21. Dan 7:13 22. symbolizing, “justice and purity” - Dan 7:9 23. symbolizing, “judgment” - Rev 2:18 24. symbolizing, 14. Isa 44:6 15. Mic 5:2 “authority” 25. Rev 1:20 26. Isa 11:4 & Rev 2:12,16 & 19:15,21 27. Ezk 1:28 28. Rom 6:9 29. Deut 32:39 & Psa 68:20 30. Rev 9:1-2 & 20:1 31. Rev 1 32. Rev 2-3

33. Rev 4-22 34. Mt 5:15

1:4a Obviously, there were more than seven churches on the western end of Asia Minor. We know of at least three other churches that were part of this location: Colosse (Colo 1:12); Hierapolis (Colo 4:13); and Troas (Acts 20:6-7). These " seven churches ” here in Revelation, however, were chosen specifically and given in the order named, because the peculiar characteristic of that Church applied to the period of Church History to which it is assigned. Clarence Larkin in The Book of Revelation notes:

The Salutation is addressed to the “Seven Churches Which Are In Asia…” These seven Churches then must be representative or typical churches, chosen for certain characteristics typical of the character of the Church of Christ, not only in that day, but on down the centuries until the Church shall be removed from the earth, and represent seven church periods clearly defined in Church History. 1